Fever Pitch
by MintChocolateLeaves
Summary: When Midoriya Izuku states he'll be Todoroki Shouto's doctor, Shouto is not expecting the feelings that accompany the new arrangement. TodoDeku. (Quirkless, Doctor!Izuku)
1. Chapter 1

_Notes: So, I finished this a while back, and have finally decided to transfer this from Tumblr over to FFN. I hope you all enjoy it! This has 6 parts in general, and I'm going to take to uploading them every Wednesday and Sunday!_

* * *

The building collapsed in roughly the same amount of time as it times Shouto to blink.

He doesn't have the time to hesitate though. Instead, he sends up a wall of ice in the attempt to keep the housing complex in one piece long enough for Iida to grab the final civilians from the wreckage. It's not easy, and he needs to keep a constantly flow of ice to battle against the weight.

Another surge of ice leaves him feeling chilled, ice crystallising by his ear. He… knows he needs to regulate his temperature, but not now – he won't use his father's power when everyone's watching. Only after everyone's been saved, taken to the paramedics and Shouto can get somewhere he can regulate his temperature without being seen.

He's the opposite to Endeavour, and Shouto refuses to let anyone see the moments when… he's not.

"Ingenium," he says into his ear piece, trying to keep his teeth from shattering, "how many more?"

Shouto grits his teeth as he keeps the structure in one piece, waits for the answer with bated breath.

"Three," Iida responds, and the low number is enough to rid Shouto of the tension in his shoulders, the pressure he's placing on himself to keep the building up. Not too long now, especially considering Iida's speed. Shouto can practically hear the seconds ticking down until he can let the building drop. "No wait, someone's claiming there's a fourth, higher up."

"What?"

Seconds pass before Iida responds again, although he seems slightly quieter now, less certain in himself. He says, "A child is trapped on the upper floor, we've just got word from the police."

Shouto doesn't know what to do about that. The higher floors have already started to collapse on themselves, and well, he hadn't thought there was anyone on the upper floors after the initial evacuation order had been given. _Foolish_ , he thinks, because they shouldn't have run on assumptions, and he's a _pro hero, he can't make mistakes._

"Do you know which floor?" Shouto asks after a moment, and his hands are cold now. It seems he won't have a choice, he'll need to warm himself up with his flames if he wants to save the kid. He'll make the heat low, a small heat that'll melt away ice in a way that won't be too noticeable.

"We're certain it's either the seventh or the eighth." Iida responds, and his voice is terse. "The staircases haven't held, I can't get up-"

"Get outside," Shouto orders, "I'll create a ramp. Do you think you'll have enough grip on the ice?"

A pause – hesitation. "I'll make it work."

Shouto nods, feels fire warm his body, and readies himself to create a second ramp alongside the ice structure he's already creating. He won't be able to hold it long, he's already told Iida, but there should be enough time before he needs to prioritise his ice.

"Okay – let's go." He mutters, and pushes himself even further until the heat he's using isn't enough any more and all he feels is cold.

* * *

As soon as they're certain there aren't any more civilians inside, Shouto lets the building drop. It's a controlled destruction, something that makes the building fold inward on itself, rather than leaving rubble falling outward into the street.

The building drops, and so does Shouto. His legs feel like weight, and he's on his knees for a second before he pulls himself up, heading down to Iida and the civilians, and even the media that's starting to flock to the scene like moths to light.

In this case, it's just the media being drawn to the heroes.

He uses ice to create a thin ramp of his own to get down from the building he'd stood on, leaving it to flake away into snow when he finds on the ground. There's all sorts of TV channels reporting the scene by the time he's on the ground, and he has to say the words 'no comment' to everyone he passes as he makes his way towards Iida.

To Iida, who is stood talking to a… he's not a civilian with the way Iida is stood – he's more rigid than usual – but the lack of costume shows that he's clearly not a hero either.

"Yes," Iida says, as Shouto comes to a stop beside him, "I'll be certain to stop by, y-yes."

The… non-civilian is short, with wavy green hair that seems almost like bed-head rather than a hairstyle. Shouto wonders whether he's just rolled out of bed, shakes his head at even questioning it – the answers probably yes – before stepping forward.

"Ingenium," he says, trying to grab the heroes attention. He succeeds, but it brings the man's attention as well, and that's definitely not something he wants right now, not with his body feeling cold, and him knowing that he needs to warm up quickly less he become hyperthermic.

"Shouto," Iida responds, and he's always hesitant with the hero name, mainly because it includes his forename, and there's something about that he's always found a little… _awkward._ "Thank you for all the help today. I know that technically it was your day off."

He says technically, but they all know that a hero doesn't get many breaks. It's not like they can turn around and say they're not going to save lives today because it's a Sunday afternoon.

"It's alright," Shouto responds, even if it _is_ a little bit of a pain. "It shouldn't take too long to write out the report. Can I leave you to the press?"

Iida nods.

The green haired man however, steps forward, his arms raised into mini fists as he exclaims. "You're just going to _go to the precinct?_ No. I won't allow it."

"Midoriya," Iida says, and he sounds almost scandalised, _shocked,_ "you can't just-"

"No," Midoriya shakes his head, takes a step forward. "I refuse to let him leave until he lets me look him over, _at least."_

Shouto almost chokes at that, takes a step backwards – _who even is this man?_ \- before breathing a sigh. He's _cold,_ he's _tired,_ and he does not have the energy for this right now.

Midoriya flushes, cheeks reddening, and he waves his hands in front of his face in an attempt to dissipate his previous words from existence.

"What I mean," he says after a few seconds, "is that I'm a doctor. And I'm not letting you leave until I'm sure your health won't suffer for it."

Right. Shouto admits that it makes more sense now – except, he still doesn't need a doctor, all he needs is a _day off_ which actually includes some sort of _rest_.

"I'm fine," he insists. There hadn't been any actual fighting, no present villains, just a building they'd claimed they'd knock down at a set time, and since Shouto hadn't actually gone _inside_ the falling building, he'd not gained any injuries.

"Oh please," Midoriya says, and he leans forward eyes glancing up and down Shouto's form. He shakes his head, "your quirk requires regulating your temperature right? And yet you're clearly showing signs of hypothermia."

"I'll just warm myself up then."

Midoriya crosses his arms now, narrows his eyes in the way Shouto has only ever seen medical practitioners exhibit. It's the look that reads, _'you think you know better, but I'm the doctor here'._ It makes Shouto wonder what's so stupid about using his quirk to warm himself up.

"Oh yeah," Midoriya says, "do that if you want to go into cardiac arrest."

"M-Midoriya?" Iida cuts between the two of them, a welcome distraction. It's almost scandalised, as if he's not used to the doctor speaking in such a manner. Not that Shouto can blame him, most doctors he's met usually aren't so blunt.

"Listen," Midoriya says, and he lifts the back of his hand to Shouto's neck, something that causes the hero to stiffen slightly, "you can take your chances if you want, but you risk developing cardiac arrhythmia as well – an _abnormal heartbeat –_ and that would lead you to need time off as a hero."

Shouto almost wants to risk it, mainly because he'd get time off for once, and some sort of holiday, even if it felt a little uneasy and painful. In the end though, he decides it's not a risk he can take, and he breathes another sigh.

"Fine." He says.

Shouto lifts his hands, an almost distressing movement that indicates he'll be in Midoriya's care for the time being, and he tries to avoid another sigh as the man grabs hold of his hand, pulling him towards the paramedics that are fanning back and forth around the scene. Iida follows behind them, and Shout finds himself wondering whether the hero is following him or _Midoriya._

"Seriously," Midoriya sighs, as he sits Shouto down at the end of the van, climbing inside and waving a quick hello to one of the paramedics. He sifts through the medical supplies, opens one of the middle drawers beneath the defibrillator. "Doesn't your doctor warn you about things like this? I'm tempted to give you saline just from how _cold_ you already feel."

Shouto tries not to stare, fails, and realises he's not responded. At this point, he's more interested in watching the man go about his work, than responding to him.

"I don't have a doctor," Shouto replies. Technically, he doesn't – he probably should, but he's refused to go to his family doctor purely out of spite to his father, and seeing as he hasn't actually fallen ill recently, he's had no need to switch to a new one.

Beside him, Iida shakes his head. As if he knows this will illicit a reaction, and regrets Shouto's response as if it is his own.

"You don't?" Midoriya splutters, as he lifts Shouto's arms where he places a heat pack in the grove of his armpits. "All heroes require a registered doctor that specialises in quirks application and misuse. How have you…"

Shouto shrugs, opens his mouth for the thermometer that's placed under his tongue.

Midoriya sighs, taps his foot before climbing back into the van. He returns with a box of medical supplies, all things Shouto knows can't be for _him._ First off – there are bandages and disinfectants and other things he knows he doesn't need.

He's a little cold, yes, but that's _all_.

"Okay then…" Midoriya takes a breath, passes the box to Iida with a request for the man to hold them for a second, as he turns back to Shouto. "I'll be your doctor for now. This Thursday, you'll have an check up at 8 a.m. Iida will give you the address."

He takes the thermometer, tilts his head as he looks at the reading.

"No saline drip this time," Midoriya claims, "you should warm up if you stay there – there's a blanket inside, put it around you, and in about twenty minutes you'll be fine to go."

He turns then, almost dismissive with his thoughts, and takes the box back from Iida. Then, with a small smile, he says, "see you then," before rushing off towards the civilians and paramedics on the scene.

Shouto glances at Iida. He frowns. "He's quite the character."

"Midoriya is very passionate about his work," Iida says. He clears his throat, glances at the man as he moves towards other people, "he's not usually so… forceful though."

Shouto hums.

He'd seemed forceful enough.

* * *

"I'll be in late tomorrow," Shouto says on Wednesday, glancing at Yaoyorozu Momo, the person he's partnered with most often during hero work. They work well together, and Shouto would go as far as to say she's his closest friend.

"Oh?" Yaoyorozu responds, from the other side of her desk. They're desks are pitted opposite one another, and as much as Shouto enjoys working with Yaoyorozu, he hates working in _this_ stupid office for his father. He's trapped though… to leave would mean practically walking out on being a hero – he can hardly imagine leaving without his reputation being tainted by a negative reference on his father's behalf. "You've not been late in the four years you've worked here."

Shouto signs the report he's due to hand over to the police about his most recent fight against a villain with a shape-shifting quirk, glances over his computer monitor to look his friend in the eyes. He says, "I've got a medical check-up, that's all."

Yaoyorozu raises an eyebrow. "You're ill?"

"No," he shakes his head, "it's just a check-up. That's all."

"Since when have you done _check ups?"_ Yaoyorozu shakes her head, tightens her ponytail with clipped nails. She's not wrong, but it does leave Shouto with a faint feeling of annoyance – he's not that bad regarding his own health. Is he?

"Since I got a new doctor." That receives a raised eyebrow, a questioning expression, and Shouto straightens as he realises he'll have to tell the story about his strange new doctor who'd practically forced his services on him. By the time he's finished explaining, Yaoyorozu's expression is a mixture of amused and annoyed.

"You didn't know warming up too quickly could cause a heart attack?" She says, and her tone is blank, almost as agitated as Midoriya's had sounded.

"Not all of us know first aid," Shouto sighs, although now he almost feels like he should take a course on it, he's severely lacking on that end. "And I've been doing it for years, it's hardly been an issue."

Another sigh. Exasperation practically becomes the woman. "Only you, Todoroki."

"Whatever." Shouto glances back at his computer, sighs over the emails in his inbox. It looks like he'll be in the office late again tonight. He's hardly ready for another late work, but he can't exactly complain about it.

"You'll have to let me know if he's good though," Yaoyorozu says after a while, "I've been meaning to move over to a new doctor for a while now."

"I thought you liked your doctor," Shouto says, although he notes it in his head. He'll have to remember to let her know.

"I do," a sigh, "but she's hideously overpriced for the service she offers. I know heroes have to go private, but some doctors are just _extortionate_ with their prices. What're this guys prices though?"

Shouto's lips press into a thin line. He doesn't… actually know.

* * *

Thursday brings a change of pace.

Not just because it means he can have an extra hour in bed – rather than getting up at five to be at the hero agency at seven a.m, Shouto only needs to be at Midoriya's clinic for eight a.m – but because he actually has time to relax in his apartment before leaving.

Usually he doesn't have time to both shower and have breakfast before heading out of the door, but today he does both, sits down to watch crappy hero interviews on the news. His old classmate is being interviewed this time, someone he'd not really talked to much during his years at UA high, and hasn't talked to at all since – Uraraka Ochako, although the world knows her as Uravity.

Frankly, Shouto hasn't offered much thought to any of his classmates, save the few he often finds himself working with – bar Yaoyorozu – and it's not really been a problem. Not that he's had the _time_ to think about them, being a hero is busy work.

"-So, that was quite a fight you had on Monday," a news reporter, Shouto identifies her as Amemiya Yusa, comments, when he finally glances at the TV, "against the villains responsible for the most recent muggings in Shinjuku."

Uraraka nods, short hair bouncing from her shoulders. It's longer now, than it was when they were students, and she looks different – more… like the adult she is, Shouto supposes.

"Yes," Uraraka says, "working together with the hero Froppy, we had to take down three villains all with telekinesis powers. People have been calling the villains dustmen, because they'd used rubble from back alleys to knock people unconscious."

Ameniya nods. She says, "and the fight, it got quite intense. You were injured, were you not?"

For a moment, Uraraka nods. It's not becoming of heroes to lie, even if it's uneasy to declare that heroes get injured too. She says, "most fights end with injuries if they're not dealt with quickly, either that of heroes or civilians, but this time it's alright, I've got a great doctor helping me out."

Shouto turns the TV off. Uraraka's smile however, lingers on the pixels, before blacking out.

* * *

He's early to the clinic by fifteen minutes.

Fortunately, the building is open, something that other places he's been before don't do, since they only open up when the doctor arrives… Not that Shouto even knows Midoriya's time table, within all reason he could operate at odd hours.

What does Shouto know, he's only met the guy once.

And yet, as he checks himself in on the small touch screen monitor by the entrance, he's not quite expecting _this._ It's a nice waiting room, something that Shouto admires. There are chairs for patients – and if the rooms are anything to show, more than one doctor works in the practise – and in the corner there's a small playpen for children.

It's all very comforting, and Shouto thinks he'd feel at peace in an empty waiting room like this if only the secretary behind the front desk didn't seem so tense, her eyes flickering towards the room furthest from the entrance.

The door opens, and Shouto can kind of understand why.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, you get that Deku?" The voice, Shouto is certain, belongs to his ex-classmate Bakugou Katsuki, and the tone… well, Shouto understands why the secretary would be nervous, he sounds just about ready to let off an explosion with his quirk.

"Now now, I'm pretty sure that's what you're paying me to do Kacchan."

 _Kacchan._ If Shouto were still a teenager, the nickname would be brilliant blackmail material. Luckily, he is both an adult, and mature which means he'll definitely not… he'll definitely not…

Okay, he's going to remember Kacchan and ask about it if he even needs to deflect Bakugou's attention from something.

Bakugou is the first person out of the door, spiky golden hair the first thing Shouto sees. Followed by that is the permanent scowl etched into his forehead, his eyes narrowed into a glare. He's wearing civilian clothes, off-duty then, like Shouto currently is, and there's something about it that seems almost unnerving.

Midoriya comes out of the door next, and he's wearing the stereotypical doctors coat, although it's been… altered slightly. There's a sticker on his shoulder, and if he squints Shouto can see that it's All-Might, the hero that's slowly faded from the line of duty and has taken up the role of educator instead.

"I pay you to keep me fucking healthy, not to tell me what to do." Bakugou bites.

And Midoriya, somehow, doesn't let the venom infect his smile. He grins as he taps the clipboard he's holding against his waist. "All I'm saying is that if you want to strengthen your quirk, you want to eat more foods with nitric oxide, that's all."

Bakugou's glare intensifies. Even Shouto feels tempted to shrink away from it, and he's a pro hero.

Midoriya lifts his spare hand, throws it up in an imitation of a cheer. He says, _"drink more cocoa, Kacchan. Eat some cranberries. Yeah!"_

He lowers his hand when the glare starts to burn. After a second, his lips thinning as he tilts his head, expression lost in thought, he lifts the clipboard to his chest. In a tone similar to the one he'd spoken to Shouto in, he says, "well, it's up to you really. But if you wanna get stronger, that's my suggestion."

The tone really has been perfected, and with the slight lift of his chin, Midoriya really does express the idea that he knows better. Bakugou makes a noise that is half dismissal, half approving grunt, before lifting his hand up in a lazy version of a wave.

"Whatever weirdo," the hero says, and he walks straight past the secretary without offering a second glance, "I'm outta here."

"See ya," Midoriya says after a moment, expression bright again, almost as if a switch has been turned inside him. He waves as well, before turning his gaze onto Shouto, sat awkwardly in the middle of the waiting room. "Todoroki! You came! Wanna come on in?"

Shouto avoids asking why Midoriya is so happy about him _showing up_ , and nods instead. He stands, makes his way into the man's office, closing the door behind him. Midoriya waves for him to take a seat, before sitting down in his own, turning to his computer.

"So," Midoriya says, as way of greeting, "I had a little bit of trouble gathering your medical records – the current general practitioner for the Todoroki family did _not_ want to budge when I sent him an email, no matter how many times I told him that I was taking over your care."

He presses enter on his keyboard, unlocking the server, where he quickly types Todoroki's family name into the database. There are several options, but Midoriya clicks the middle one before Shouto can even read anyone else's names.

"Uh…" Shouto doesn't quite know how to respond to that. "Sorry, I guess?"

"Oh no, no," Midoriya turns to look at him, offers a small smile, "it's not a big deal. I sent an email to U.A high, and they sent me the medical records they had on record from before your graduation. It just means I'll need you to catch me up on the years since then."

Shouto shrugs his shoulders, "I've not been to the doctors in years, so there's nothing to add to the records…"

He receives a concerned frown.

There's a pause, and then Midoriya turns his head, glances back at his computer. He says, "that's alright, it just means you'll have to have some booster shots and extra tests that I could have been given results for. We'll fit those appointments around your schedule. What time do you finish work?"

Shouto grimaces.

The expression is answer enough.

"Okay then…" Midoriya says after a moment, and as he scoots his chair closer to the computer, Shouto is presented with a closer view of the sticker on the man's shoulder. It's just above his bicep, and Shouto finds himself drawn between thinking it's extremely cute, and that it's the result of working with children as patients. "Let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

First, Shouto has to give his address, confirm his name and hero agency details.

Then, the begin the official check up. Midoriya takes his weight first – _'a little under the average, but we'll find a way to bulk you up' –_ then he assesses Shouto's blood pressure and forces him to sit down and tests his vision.

"You're not an optician." Shouto sighs, half way through reading letters aloud and being asked which lens is easier to see through _'a or b'?_

"My patient's are all heroes," Midoriya sighs, snapping another lens down and waiting until Shouto says 'a'. "Since you're all pressed for time, doctors specialising in hero care offer check-ups including what care you'd receive at an opticians. It keeps you limited to one place."

"I see…" Shouto responds, and his expression flickers momentarily back down to the sticker on his shoulder. If all his patients are heroes though… then doesn't that mean that a child _couldn't_ have stuck it to his coat without him noticing?

Midoriya hums, gathering his attention as he pulls the lens' away, declaring Shouto has perfect vision, and that they won't need to worry with another test like that for at least another year. Then, he leans backward, plucks a tool from his desk and checks Shouto's ears.

"Please tell me your not a dentist too," Shouto mutters, when the doctor steps back and settles back in his chair. He types something up, almost like a note to himself, and not something permanently on record.

"Oh no," Midoriya laughs – the sound, if possible, sounds like _sunshine._ "I don't work with teeth, don't worry. You'll have to stay with your regular dentist… You do have a dentist right?"

"Of course I have a dentist."

Midoriya turns, squints. "I would have thought you'd have a doctor as well, but apparently not, Todoroki."

Shouto, despite his best attempts, flushes.

And, in an attempt to deflect the attention, turning it back on to Midoriya, he splutters, "did you know there's a sticker on your coat?"

The other man beams, lifts his hand so he can laugh behind it, before nodding his head. Once again, he turns back to the computer, typing something into his notes, before momentarily glancing over his shoulder.

His shoulders shake as he turns back, laugh-lines in his face as he grins. After a second he says, "oh that sticker. Every day a certain patient of mine is booked to visit, I always put on a sticker like this. He always gets so embarrassed."

Shouto narrows his eyes at the sticker again, glances at the All-Might cartoon with it's thumbs up, before turning back to Midoriya.

"Is…" He struggles to grasp the words he's after, decides instead just to improvise. "…Are you _All-Might's personal doctor?"_

His fees must be _outrageous._

Why didn't Iida warn him?

Midoriya turns back to him, grins wide enough that Shouto knows the answer is _yes._ And then, the man says, "I'm afraid doctor-patient confidentiality keeps me from disclosing my patients, Todoroki."

Shouto pauses.

His doctor has _fucking All-Might_ for a patient.

"Anyway," Midoriya says, swivelling in his chair to face Shouto, looking very much like he hasn't just dropped the bombshell of his most famous client, "I'll need you to come back in a few days, just for some routine shots and blood tests. I wanna ensure your levels are all fine."

"Okay."

"And, then from there, we'll come up with a plan that's good for you. Some heroes like to go over suitable diets that coincide with their results, others don't want that. We'll decide on it. Do you need me to get you a list of psychologist's, that's _also a requirement for heroes too, you know._ "

Shouto crosses his arms, "Endeavour's agency forces a set of hours a month with the agency's appointed psychologist."

Midoriya nods. "Good. Then… that's us done for today Todoroki."

He smiles, stands from his chair, walks Shouto to the door.

It's not until Shouto is half way on-route to work that he realises that while his body might have left the Midoriya's office, his mind is still very much so focused on the doctor and the All-Might sticker on the shoulder of his coat. His ears still feel warm with that sunshine laughter, and Shouto lifts his hands up to his cheeks to cover slightly flushed cheeks.

"Oh no," Shouto mutters, his cheeks burning, "this isn't good."


	2. Chapter 2

_Notes: I'm glad people enjoyed the first chapter! I hope you enjoy the second. Thanks for the reviews/favs/follows you've all given!_

* * *

Yaoyorozu practically attacks him the moment Shouto slumps down at his desk, rolling forward with his chair as he clicks his monitor on. It's warm in the office, although Shouto's sure that's a result following the aftermath of warm cheeks, and a quirk that leaves his temperature too high whenever he finds himself blushing.

Shouto knows that she's not asking him for gossip purposes, but he still struggles to keep from turning a dark shade of crimson anyway, as he tries to meet her eyes. He sends a small shiver down his spine – brilliant use of his quirk, _definitely,_ he's not going to over think it, - and says, in what he hopes is his calmest voice, that Midoriya is a good doctor.

"Should I swap over to him then?" Yaoyorozu asks, leaning forward to see him through the small gap of their monitors between their desks. She tilts her head, questioning.

"If you can," Shouto says, in a manner that he hopes will lead the end of the conversation, moving towards the usual conversation of strategies against villains. Instead, Yaoyorozu leans forward, narrows her eyes.

"If I can?"

Shouto glances around the room, notices that his father isn't around so mentioning his biggest _arch-nemesis_ will be alright, and sighs. He says, "he's All-Might's doctor. That means he must have a pretty busy practise, right?"

Yaoyorozu's eyes widen. "Your doctor has All-Might as a patient?"

There is awe there, but also a steady sort of shock. Shouto understands, he feels almost the same – after All-Might had turned to teaching full time, shortly after they'd finished UA high, the man had almost… disappeared from the media. The only time he'd be seen was during classes.

And even since, the man hasn't made an appearance on the news for years, a long enough time to make people think All-Might had left Japan despite U.A's declaration that he's part of the staff.

"It was heavily implied," Shouto says, and he turns away from her to type in his password, readying himself for the world of emails and police reports he'll have to prepare himself to create. He hopes that it'll end the conversation, but still, it continues.

"How did you manage to get _All-Might's_ doctor to volunteer himself to be your doctor?" Yaoyorozu says. Then, within the same breath, "what's the number for his surgery, I'm going to book an appointment."

Shouto sighs again – what is it with him and sighing recently? It's becoming more and more like a habit – before pulling his phone from his pocket and reading the number off.

"Can we stop talking about my doctor now?" Shouto asks, once Yaoyorozu has punched the numbers into her phone. She raises an eyebrow at his tone, but doesn't comment, instead, she simply nods. "Thank you."

Frankly, he just wants to stop thinking about Midoriya before this becomes a problem.

* * *

It becomes a problem.

Not at first. For a few days, Shouto is lulled into a false sense of comfort, as he throws himself into his work and puts thoughts of his check up behind him. He's not got the time while he's working to think about anything other than work, and well… Shouto's life is practically just working.

Yaoyorozu ends up switching to Midoriya's clinic, comes into work one day with a raised eyebrow, but says _nothing._

(It's frustrating, but Shouto prefers the silence over anything else.)

And that's how the fortnight passes, two blissful weeks of Shouto refusing to think of the slight attraction he'd felt to his doctor, thinking about things that aren't cute and about villains that don't have smiles that feel like sunshine.

It's not until the two weeks are over, that it becomes impossible for Shouto to continue avoiding his own thoughts on the man. Mostly, because the man makes it impossible, walking in to Endeavour's hero agency when the clock hits 9 pm, his doctor's bag over his shoulder as he walks in.

Yaoyorozu raises an eyebrow as the man stops in the gap between their desks, glances at Shouto as if to ask, _'what have you done?',_ before glancing back at her paperwork.

"Midoriya," Shouto says, turning from his own paperwork to face the man. He tries not to glance at the man's physique – he's in civilian clothes today, and it shows off more muscle than Shouto had not expected to exist – but some things are just impossible. "What're you doing here?"

Midoriya crosses his arms, levels Shouto with a frown and says, "I was on my way back from a villain attack, and I was walking past this agency when I recalled that in the two weeks since our check-up, you didn't book an appointment for those blood tests and vaccinations you need."

Shouto glances around the office – he's lucky that it's mostly empty at this hour. There are people milling about, but there's a significant decline in workers in comparison to those working the day shift.

"I've been busy." Shouto says, although the excuse feels week on his tongue.

Perhaps he should've expected the glare that is aimed towards him, but frankly, it's a surprise. Midoriya narrows emerald eyes at him, purses his lips before shaking his head. He looks, momentarily, like a stern parent showing their disappointment.

The thought is slightly disturbing.

"With what, work?" Shouto nods. "So, what you're telling me, is that you can't carry out the appropriate tests to ensure you remain healthy, because you're too busy _overworking yourself?"_

When he says it like that, it almost seems bad. He remains quiet, because he can't exactly refute the claim, and he most certainly doesn't want to admit to it. Now, Midoriya turns to Yaoyorozu, offers a cheerful greeting – such a quick change in temperature, how does he do it? – before asking Shouto's typical work schedule.

Yaoyorozu looks conflicted for roughly two seconds, before siding with the doctor. "He normally gets here at seven a.m, and he always leaves after me. I usually finish at 9:30."

At this point, Midoriya narrows his eyes at her as well. He says, "I come in to lecture one client about overworking himself, but it looks like now I'm going to have to lecture you as well."

He pauses, scratches at his cheek for a moment before nodding his head.

"I've decided," the doctor says, "the two of you are going to finish the report you're doing now, and then you're going to come with me."

Shouto blinks. Once, twice and then.

"W-what?"

It's Yaoyorozu who splutters the words, confused. Shouto can't even find the words to question Midoriya, realises it's probably better not to ask questions, and breathes an _'alright'_.

"You've been cooped indoors all day," Midoriya says, "bar those two incidents you were mentioned being in on the news, right? It's not _healthy,_ and I'm pretty certain you both know that. Now finish whatever report you're in the middle of, because I'm going to ensure you both actually head home before you burn yourselves out."

The man glances at Shouto, stern expression replaced momentarily with a snort. Oh, _hilarious,_ a pun on his quirk, _well done Midoriya._ Frankly, Shouto's more exasperated than impressed.

"I don't understand," Yaoyorozu says, "our work schedules are fine."

She receives a tight-lipped smile that practically screams _, 'I beg to differ.'_ And Midoriya shakes his head. He says, "Any shift over twelve hours, is unhealthy and when it's consistent, it's called _overworking_ yourself."

Shouto sends off the email he'd been writing, leans back in his chair and swivels to face the man again. He says, "aren't you overworking yourself then?"

Midoriya pauses. Then, he leans forward, clicks his fingers and says, "it's not overworking yourself if it's a hobby."

Which… is probably the lousiest dismissal Shouto has ever heard in his life. Also – doesn't that assume that Shouto and Yaoyorozu don't enjoy their jobs? Is it true that they're just heroes because it's _work_ rather then…

Another reason, apart from Midoriya's attractiveness, to want to avoid thinking about him. Because it seems like it's not going to be him just thinking about the man himself, but rather, about his _whole life_ as well.

"Right." Shouto says, and jumps when Yaoyorozu slams her pen down on her desk, pushing out from her chair. It's these moments of uncharacteristic dramatic outbursts that break their seriousness, making him glad they're friends.

"I'm done," Yaoyorozu says, and she grabs her jacket from the back of her chair. "I've got some more I'll need to catch up on tomorrow, but I should be able to get it done tomorrow."

Midoriya offers them both a smile. They leave together – making their way down to the nearest station, readying themselves for the train ride home.

"Oh, this is me," Yaoyorozu says when she reaches the ticket barriers to her train. She lives in the opposite direction to Shouto, just outside of the Chiyoda province. Shouto waves a small good bye, and continues towards his own train.

Midoriya follows behind him.

In fact, the man follows him onto the same train, where he promptly takes the seat beside Shouto. He offers him one of the same sunshine smiles he had at his last check up and for a moment Shouto is flushed, embarrassed at such a bright expression being directed at him.

"I guess we live in similar provinces," Midoriya says, and he scratches his cheek. Then, he tilts his head. When he doesn't receive a response, he makes a small noise, mutters something incoherent, before nodding. "You really should book those tests though, you shouldn't take such risks with your health."

Shouto glances at him. He pulls at his sleeve just for _something_ to do, "I really am busy. It just wasn't a priority."

"Your health isn't a priority for you?" Midoriya asks, and it's less happy now, sadder. "Well… what is a priority for you, Todoroki?"

Shouto pauses. He says, "Work is. I guess."

He receives a scrunched-up nose in response. A look of, _'is-that-all_ ', which makes him wonder whether it's really so bad for it to be like that. Because well… That's all Shouto's life is, work. There's not really anything else other than work for him.

"…and?"

"That's it, really." Shouto says. And it sounds more like he's existing than actually living, but… but that's how things have always been. The only reason he's alive is to be a hero, and he is fulfilling that purpose to his best ability. "Just work."

Midoriya is the one who turns away. He glances out of the window, and there is some sort of faraway expression on his face, not sad exactly, but melancholic. He says, "just work, huh? That… Must be such a lonely life to live."

Within seconds though, he turns back, waves his hands in front of his face and chokes an awkward laugh as if his previous words didn't exist. He adds, "sorry, that was rude. I didn't mean it like-"

"It's alright," Shouto says, although the man's words feel almost like a punch. "Don't… worry about it."

"Ah," Midoriya rubs the back of his neck, tilts his head. He says, "to be honest, I'm a bit of a workaholic myself, so it's not like I can say much without acting like a hypocrite. Still, I do think it's important you do something outside of work, else life becomes kind of grey, you know?"

Shouto understands.

It's just… not exactly something he can explain to the man – that his life has been grey for since he can remember. That every-day life seems normal, purely because he's never known any different.

"I suppose." Shouto says. Then, "I'll book my appointments tomorrow, don't worry."

Midoriya smiles.

* * *

The following morning, when Yaoyorozu catches him walking from the train into the agency, she glances at him and gives him the same expectant expression as before.

"So?"

Shouto pulls at the cuff of his jacket, glances at her for a second, before turning his attention back to the pavement. It's not even seven a.m, yet the streets are already filled.

"I can't phone the clinic until half seven, so I don't have the appointments yet."

"No, not that," she waves the topic away as if it's not a big deal – which, it probably isn't, but Midoriya had made it into a big deal, which had meant in Shouto's mind it was suddenly a big deal as well. "I want to know how things went after I got on my train."

Shouto squints, he hopes the expression clearly portrays his confusion at the question. He says, "why do you care what happened after you left…?"

"Well," Yaoyorozu says, and she quickens her steps as Shouto's own pace speeds up. Something about her tone of voice makes Shouto certain that he wants to swap this conversation for work. "Midoriya's cute, right?"

Shouto refuses to glance over at her. His face betrays him, heating as he continues to walk. He swallows.

"You think so?"

"Are you seriously going to act like a teenager and deny the fact you find him attractive?" Yaoyorozu asks, and she grabs his arm, stopping him from walking. Shouto briefly considers removing her hand, but decides that she's as his closest, and only, friend, he shouldn't brush her off.

"You're the one acting like a teenager," he says, which isn't much better than brushing her off. Not really. "Asking what happened on the train. We got on, I got off, and then I went home to bed."

"You didn't dispute that you find him attractive."

"Listen," Shouto says, and now he continues walking again. "Midoriya's attractive, yes. But that doesn't mean anything."

"Uh-huh?"

Once again warmth flushes his cheeks, he feels a personal hatred for himself as he realises he can't stop the faint blush, no matter how much he tries.

"Seriously," he says, "nothing will come from this. Just leave it be, alright?"

"Fine," Yaoyorozu groans, heaving her shoulders as if they're suddenly heavy. Shouto refuses to feel guilty.

* * *

"And that's your bloods done," Midoriya says, during their following appointment. He turns to his desk, grabs a label for the third vial he's filled for the blood tests. It's another early morning, and Shouto feels a surge of guilt at the fact that he's going to be late into work again.

He hopes his father doesn't notice, he doesn't feel ready for a fight with the man. Any interactions he has with his father are always draining, leaving him with a cold anger that simply _simmers._

"How long until the results get back?" Shouto asks.

"It shouldn't take any longer than a few days," Midoriya says. He lifts his hand, three fingers held up. "If you don't get a call within after three days from the clinic, phone us, we'll have them by that point."

Shouto nods, stores the information for later.

"We can start you on your vaccinations today," Midoriya adds, and he places the vial with the others, "your general tetanus shot – you need that one every seven years – and there's another to battle the toxicity of some quirk users. Not typically given out, but it's a requirement for heroes…"

"Sure," Shouto says.

"Give me a second," Midoriya says, standing from his chair, "and I'll get them from the store room."

He leaves without another word, and Shouto finds himself glancing around the room trying to see what kind of person Midoriya is. He's already got a general idea, but really, he's not sure completely. The walls have the typical posters he's grown accustomed to seeing in doctor's practices.

On his desk, there are three photographs. One with a woman Shouto assumes is his mother, the two smiles at the camera, half wrapped in a hug – it's a photo from a phone camera, it's close-up as if Midoriya had decided halfway through a visit that he wanted a picture.

The following is a picture that's yellowing with age. In it, is a small boy Shouto assumes to be Izuku, smiling at the camera with a blonde that looks surprisingly like Bakugou. Shouto deduces from this photograph, and the nickname _'Kacchan',_ that the two must be childhood friends. It's almost weird to see Bakugou smiling, and for a moment Shouto feels like the photograph is almost bittersweet.

The final photograph is of Midoriya at what Shouto can only imagine is his graduation from medical school. He's smiling at the camera, and on one side is his mother. On his other side, All-Might grins at the camera.

"I'm back," Midoriya says, opening the door. He's holding two vials in his hands, and he places them on the stand by his desk as he grabs two needles from the cupboard on the other side of the room. "I shouldn't keep you for much longer."

Shouto glances at him for a second, before turning back to the photographs. He says, "Bakugou didn't mention you during our time at U.A high."

Midoriya's expression shifts, into something that Shouto can't fully read, before levelling out into another smile. He sits back in his chair, places one of the needles down, before filling the first vaccine into the needle.

"I don't imagine he would have," the doctor says, and he flicks the end of the needle, ensuring there are no air bubbles in the syringe. "As you know, Kacchan isn't more a shouter than a – this might sting a little – that a talker."

As he readies the second vaccination, Shouto asks, "your pictures. All-Might went to your graduation?"

Midoriya waits a second, nods, and then punctures him with another needle, injecting him with the vaccine. He says, "truthfully? All-Might's the only reason I could afford to go to medical school. I wouldn't have been able to afford it, if not for him. So, it wouldn't have felt right to graduate without him present."

Shouto isn't sure how to respond to that, so he doesn't. Instead, he rolls down his sleeve. He says, "you must admire him a lot."

"Oh yes," Midoriya replies, "I wanted to be just like him when I was younger. A hero like you."

It's not until he's leaving the clinic behind that Shouto finds himself wondering what had changed.

* * *

His results come back within two days.

In these two days, Shouto comes to the realisation that he wants to know more about Midoriya, wants to learn his history and see him smile more. And it's not love, he doubts it could be after such a little time, but it's an interest he's not felt before and frankly, it's a little distracting.

He doesn't mention it to Yaoyorozu, because it'd only prove her _right,_ something he can't afford to do. So, he remains quiet instead, and dives into his work again despite the previous warning that he works too much.

And maybe when he catches the train back home a little past midnight he wonders why he works too much, when he hates his agency and following his father's footsteps, but he never comes to an answer, so it's all a little useless, if he thinks about it.

Either way, his phone vibrates as he's returning from a villain fight, his hands shaking slightly from the cold, but his core temperature slightly… warmer. Shouto thinks that today would have been a good day for gloves, regardless of it being late spring.

Since he's only on his way back, he retrieves his phone and presses answer. "Hello?"

"Todoroki," the voice is comforting, meaning that it's Midoriya's, "we just got your results back, would you be able to book a follow up appointment within the week?"

"Don't doctors give results back over the phone?" And then, because that seems rude, Shouto adds, "yeah, I'll book an appointment."

"You've still got two other inoculations you need," Midoriya says, and his voice is practically a sigh. A wave of concern fills Shouto's stomach, and he frowns as he notices Yaoyorozu walking back towards the agency having fought alongside him today. "So, I was hoping to give your results back then."

"Oh," Shouto responds. "Yeah, okay, I'll book one."

"You'd better," Midoriya's stern about this at least. Then, his voice turns warm, "anyway, that's all Todoroki, I'll let you get back to work. Don't overwork yourself, alright? Talk later."

"Bye," Shouto murmurs, but by that point, the phone line has gone dead, and Midoriya isn't there to hear.

* * *

"Shouto, man, back me up."

Shouto sends a wall of ice towards the villain Kirishima and he are fighting, loops the ice around so that the man they're fighting can't run, and takes a step forward. The villain has a bacterial quirk, something that spreads and strengthens viruses in people. So far, they've managed to quarantine the area, ensuring no more civilians will fall ill.

"Alright," Shouto says, and he feels a little breathless as he steps forward – the man's probably using his quirk on _him,_ trying to wear him out. Well, Shouto isn't going to let him get away. "Now we just need to-"

A wave of nausea spreads through him. Shouto glares.

"Back me up man," Kirishima orders, and he uses his quirk to harden his skin, racing towards the man. He doesn't hesitate, doesn't show any signs of weakness, although, it's most likely that the virus takes longer to spread with his quirk keeping bacteria out.

It's why Kirishima had been called to help take the villain down.

"Sure," Shouto says, steps forward and releases another wave of ice. This time, it creates a barrier in front of the villain, limiting his movements as Kirishima races forward, fist raised.

In his ear, Yaoyorozu reminds him that he's got another eight minutes before they'll have to switch – with this villain's powers, heroes are limited to fifteen minutes of fighting before the risk of infection from the villain becomes too much.

"Now, shatter it," Kirishima shouts, when he's a foot away from the ice barrier keeping the villain in place. Shouto does, although his reaction time is slower than usual, and the ice splinters before it shatters. "Thanks man."

Shouto feels almost ashamed of his own ability, says nothing, and races forwards as well. As Kirishima punches the man, knocking him off guard, Shouto slides forward, grabs the man's arms and restrains him.

As he's doing this, Kirishima has retrieved a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, locks them around the man's wrists.

Shouto coughs. It's a wet sound, that forces the villain to smile up at him.

"Not looking so good," the man smirks, and Shouto would punch him, if he weren't a hero – if this weren't being broadcasted across the news. Instead, he levels the other man with a glare, cooling himself with ice when his body feels almost like it's burning up.

"Shut up," Shouto says, and he pulls him up, tries not to feel too put out when Kirishima takes the man's arm and offers to deal with him while Shouto finds a medic. Shouto feels the overwhelming urge to tell him he doesn't need a medic, he just needs to sit down for a little bit, but he keeps his teeth gritted instead.

He says _'no-comment'_ to the news reporters, something he's done ever since qualifying as a hero, before stepping back toward Yaoyorozu. She stands as she sees him, having been waiting as his back up, and offers a small smile.

"Great job," she says.

She receives a thin smile in response, which is about as much response Shouto usually gives to things like this. He runs a hand through his hair, thinks about the report on this and how it's going to _suck_ to write out.

"Todoroki!" The voice is loud, and it's quite obviously Midoriya's. And of course, Yaoyorozu looks at him with confusion – why would their doctor come running when they've installed the correct security measures? – tilting her head as he turns to look for the green-haired man. "Todoroki!"

It's not loud enough that the news reporters catch notice, not that they would, they only know Shouto's hero name anyway. But it is a shout that doesn't get drowned out by the noise of the scene.

Seconds later, green hair comes into Shouto's visual field, the man looking slightly frazzled as he races forward. His lips are parted, slightly, as he tries to catch his breath, a bag around his shoulders.

"Midoriya," Shouto frowns, "what're you doing here?"

"You can't fight that man!" Midoriya breathes, after he's come to a stop. He's obviously not seen the news since, seeing as Shouto's already fought the man and he's been captured. "It'd be really bad for your health."

Shouto feels another wave of nausea spread through him, a jolting feeling that makes him feel almost… helpless.

"The man's been arrested Midoriya," Yaoyorozu says, moving to stand beside Shouto, almost as if she's his backup against the doctor, rather than backup against a villain. "Todoroki didn't pass the allotted fifteen minutes during his fight-"

Midoriya looks faintly horrified. "You joined the fight?"

Shouto, not quite understanding what he's done wrong, nods. The movement makes his head throb and he tries not to flinch at the pressure, but he does. The doctor catches the movement with narrowed eyes, leans forward to feel Shouto's temperature and sighs.

"Not good, not good at _all,_ " Midoriya mutters, pulling backwards. He places his bag on the floor, unzips it and pulls out a thermometer, forcing Shouto to adapt it. "You shouldn't have fought someone with a quirk that causes _illnesses_ , should have told you that on the phone, but how many of those actually _exist?"_

Shouto frowns. He hopes his expression will be enough to get the man to respond with what _the hell is going on_ , seeing as he can't exactly talk with a thermometer beneath his tongue.

"Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu, _bless her,_ chooses the perfect moment to ask for some concrete answers, "what're you talking about?"

Midoriya's eyes widen, as if he's only just remembered he's not given a response. He says, "Oh, I can't… confidentiality, I can only tell Todoroki I-"

"Todoroki, do you mind my being present?" Yaoyorozu says, and Shouto shakes his head 'no'. "There, you've got his consent."

"I…" Midoriya nods, "Alright, well… Todoroki has a low white blood cell count, so his immune system has been invariably weakened. Fifteen minutes against that villain would leave him in a sick bed for _months._ How long were you exposed to his quirk for?"

He grabs the thermometer, pulls it out a swears under his breath.

"About eight or nine minutes?" Shouto responds. And then because both Midoriya and Yaoyorozu are looking at his with concern lining their faces, frowns etched into their foreheads, he adds, "listen, I feel fine."

It's a lie.

Midoriya clearly notices that it's a lie, because he turns the thermometer away, shows his temperature to be at 39°C.

"Fever," Midoriya says, "not fine. Anything over five minutes would be harmful."

 _"I'm okay."_

"No," Midoriya responds, "you're feverish, and you look like you might pass out. You're going to need some antiviral medicine, and, _and where do you think you're going?"_

Half way through his lecture, Shouto has started making his way towards the subway, readying himself to head back to the agency. When he turns back, even Yaoyorozu looks faintly surprised, the beginnings of irritation blossoming in her expression.

"I have to pick up the medicine later, right?" Shouto asks. Another wave of nausea, mixed now with an exhaustion that seems to wrap around his bones. It's annoying, being ill, but he's not going to let it get the better of him. "So, I'm going back to work until then-"

"You can't go back to work!" Midoriya practically rips through the words, exasperation rolling from his tongue in a mutated version of words. "Listen you… you _workaholic,_ you've got to rest, if you don't you'll wind up in the hospital, what's _wrong with you?"_

"I've got a lot of work to do," Shouto says, turning back to face the man, "I can't afford to _rest."_

 _His father will not let him rest._

It's unsaid, but the words echo in his head, unease spreading through him. There is so much to do, Shouto cannot slack off, not if he's got to meet the expectations _Endeavor_ has placed on his shoulders, a weight he is drowning beneath.

"Oh God," Midoriya says. One look at him shows shadows across his face, forces Shouto to notice that this conversation seems to be draining the life from him. "I didn't think you'd be this headstrong… Okay, looks like I'm going to have to be one of _those_ doctors."

Shouto narrows his eyes. _Those doctors?_

"Todoroki Shouto," Midoriya says, and he sounds extremely grave over something as nonsensical as a small fever, "I'm rescinding your right to work as a hero until you can prove to me you're at a certain standard of health"

Shouto breathes, narrows his eyes. "Are you even allowed to do that?"

"Yes," Midoriya says, and now he turns to Yaoyorozu. He says, "would you be able to ensure he gets home without passing out? I've got a doctor's note to write out, and deliver."

Shouto's eyes widen, "hey now-"

"Too late Todoroki," Midoriya says, "no working until I say so. I'll have to ask Yaoyorozu to deliver your anti-viral medicine as well… Go home and rest."

"But-"

"You're officially on sick leave Todoroki," and then the _bastard winks, practically rubbing it in,_ "doctor's orders."


	3. Chapter 3

_Notes: So... I forgot my own updating schedule. My bad - so, you get a Monday update to make up for it._

* * *

The first day seems the longest.

Shouto wakes up at five, despite having been forced by Yaoyorozu to turn his phone alarm off, and readies himself for a day of work. He feels dizzy in the shower, has to sit down until light headedness fades away, before pulling on clothes, his shoes and heading out the door.

He gets to the bottom of his apartment building when he realises he's going to be turned away from work, at which point, he sits on the steps to the upper floors, breathless and dizzy, wondering about the consequences of being ill.

Then, after what feels like hours, (but is only really minutes), he drags himself back up to his apartment, where he makes himself a cup of coffee, climbs back into his bed and stares at the walls.

It's grey. He's never paid much attention to his apartment, purely because its only purpose is a place for him to sleep, but it's… hideously bland. There's no signs of life in the apartment and maybe it bothers him now that he thinks about it, but it shouldn't.

He sips at his coffee, tries not to think too much on what it'd be like to live a more colorful life and when it becomes difficult to think without feeling like he's burning up, he rinses his cup out and lays down in his futon.

Shouto tries to fall asleep and fails.

His eyes are closed, but Shouto's mind refuses to shut off. Instead of thinking about relaxing and recuperating after falling ill, his mind is forced onto his father, and the angry words he will receive for not making it into work.

Minutes tick away, silently because Shouto doesn't own a clock, cannot listen to ticks. It feels, almost, like he is trapped in a single moment of time, growing more and more nervous as he thinks more.

At some point, he must drift off, because he wakes to the sound of someone knocking on his door. It's a light knock, and Shouto almost doesn't hear it, but it must register in his subconscious, tearing him from sleep.

Rubbing at his eyes and throwing on a dressing gown – he questions when he'd ever bought it, but apparently, it fits and it's better than throwing on clothes when all his is, is aching bones – he makes his way from his bedroom, out to the door.

He has to pause a few steps from the door, lean against the wall when the world becomes a blur, dizziness dealing more damage to him than a villain ever could. Then, after he's recovered, he reaches out for the door, opening it.

"Todoroki!" Shouto should have expected it to be Midoriya, who else knows his address? "Yaoyorozu said she wouldn't be able to drop your medicine off until tonight, but I was worried and wanted you to start the medication by noon at the latest so _here I am."_

Shouto levels him with a glare, but lets him in with the slightest incline of his head. He wonders briefly what he's supposed to do with the sudden guest, and closes the door behind Midoriya with a hesitant pause. Then, attempting to move as if exhaustion is not rotting his bones, he leads them into the kitchen.

"Coffee?" He asks, because he can't offer anything else. He's pretty sure that the only thing that exists within the cupboards of his kitchen is coffee beans. He doesn't think he should tell Midoriya that though, feels almost like it'll cause him to go into _scowl_ mode.

"Oh, no thank you," Midoriya says, and he places a small bag on the side, the prescription Shouto knows that he's going to be forced to take, "I'm not much of a coffee drinker."

Shouto nods his head. Leans against the wall and watches as the man opens the bag, placing small boxes on his kitchen side.

"Okay," Midoriya says, "I've brought the antiviral-medicine, which should help boost your immune system long enough to fight your fever. You'll want to take them twice a day, with food. Have you eaten lunch yet?"

Shouto shakes his head. He realises it's probably not a good decision to say he hasn't eaten since before his fight against the villain the day before, so he stays silent instead.

"I thought so," Midoriya says, flashes him a smile. Then he says, "you should make something in a little while. Actually… While I'm here, I was wondering if you could answer some questions about your diet, I've been thinking your white blood cell count might be diet related…"

Shouto closes his eyes as everything becomes a blur again, decides his pride can come later and moves towards one of the chairs by the kitchen side. There are three, but only one has ever been used.

Thinking about it, Shouto thinks Midoriya might be his first guest.

"I guess so," he says, "although it's mainly just stuff I've picked up from the convenient store."

He receives a sigh. "Is it a bento at least?"

Shouto shrugs his shoulders, "I normally just buy onigiri and bread, I don't have the time to eat a lot during work."

At this, he receives a glare, more exasperation, a feeling that he's eliciting in the doctor more than he'd been expecting to. He looks away, purely because he doesn't want to see the man's disappointment – for a doctor, he wears emotions on his face more so than he should.

"Is it that difficult for you to take care of yourself?" Midoriya chides, and he turns. "Malnutrition isn't anything to be okay with. And you're probably sleep deprived too… _how are you surviving?"_

Shouto's answer: "I don't know."

The truth: _He isn't._

"Listen," Midoriya says, "I know you've said your health isn't a priority, but it _should be_. And… and until I can be certain that it is one for you, I'm not going to give you the go ahead to return to work. It's just… I can't let you live like this."

Shouto doesn't speak. He is not living, after all, simply existing. After a moment, he stands from the chair, itching to be stood up even if it leaves him unsteady on his feet. And he places the kettle over the stove, boiling water.

"I'm not trying to be rude," Midoriya says after a moment, uncertain. After a moment, he says, "you should get some more rest, I'll… I'll make you something that's actually healthy, I'll wake you up then…"

Shouto turns, glances back at the doctor with pursed lips. He asks, "do you usually do things like this for your clients?"

Midoriya hesitates, scratches his cheeks and shakes his head. "No, but most of my patients know how to look after themselves."

And from that point, the day drags.

* * *

The following day is a bit easier, mainly because Midoriya doesn't make any appearances. Shouto spends most of the day, and the next, slipping in and out of sleep and only leaving his room to reheat some of the leftover curry Midoriya had made the day before.

When he feels awake enough, he clicks the TV over to the news and follows the news on villain attacks within Tokyo, biting the inside of his cheek when he notices Endeavour being interviewed. Seeing his face on the screen brings too many conflicted feelings to Shouto's head, so he lifts the remote and throws it across the room.

It clatters on the ground, and Shouto feels breathless at doing just that.

He stares at the TV a moment longer, before pulling himself to his feet and pulling the plug from the wall. The screen flickers, much like Endeavour's flames do, before blacking out, leaving only the imprint of a man Shouto hates on the screen.

"I'm not you," Shouto mutters, and it feels almost… _real_ to say the words. He's never said them before, hasn't stood up against his father in the years he's known him, too cautious of the man and the possibility of gaining more burn scars. He throws himself into his room, curls up on his futon and closes his eyes. "I will never be you."

The words do nothing to comfort him, and Shouto falls asleep with fire burning his eyelids, the feeling of fire burning his wrists like shackles searing his mind as he drifts into unconsciousness.

* * *

His fever breaks by the end of the fifth day.

Shouto decides against a shower, and draws a bath instead, relaxing tense muscles for the first time in a long time. And as he lies back, he decides that he's going to try and _do_ something today, because he can't handle staying holed up in this apartment again.

He's not sure exactly what he wants to do with his day, although he feels like maybe going grocery shopping might be a good place to start. He needs to stock his cupboards with food after all, if he's going to be at home more often.

Shouto will start with that then. Maybe he'll even wander the area, because the most he's seen of his neighbourhood is the route to the train station. And even then, he doesn't see much because it's always dark when he commutes to and from work…

Within ten minutes, Shouto is dry, clothed with a jacket thrown on, and slipping his shoes on. He grabs his wallet, before making his way out of his apartment, climbing down the stairs and out into the neighbourhood.

It's a weekday, so the neighbourhood is quiet – there are no children playing outside seeing as they're all in school, although Shouto does see some toddlers playing when he passes the park on his walk around the neighbourhood.

One of the toddlers sees him, raises their hand to point and shouts 'Shouto'. It causes all the other toddlers to turn, waving, and directly afterward, draws the attention of multiple mothers.

One woman stands, runs towards the end of the gate nearest to him and asks, "there's not a villain attack around here is there?"

Shouto turns, shakes his head. He says, "No, I'm just… out for a walk I guess."

She smiles in response, says _'oh thank god'_ before thanking him for what he does to keep Tokyo safe. And then, she turns back to the park, away from him – his first conversation with a civilian and it doesn't even last a minute. Shouto doesn't know whether to be impressed or bewildered.

He waves to the toddlers when they should his name again, purely because there's no reason not to, before continuing on, trying to find the supermarket. It takes an extra twenty minutes, but Shouto finds that he doesn't mind because it's warm and having nothing to do is less stressful than having to do _everything_ at once.

The supermarket is big, and Shouto picks up a shopping basket before moving through the shop. He doesn't know exactly what he needs to buy – he's 24 and yet this is his first time fully shopping for himself – so he picks up the stereotypical objects, before branching out with things he wants to try.

It doesn't quite fill the basket, but there's more than he's used to buying. And then, because Shouto's trying to waste a little time before heading back to his apartment, he sidles to the magazine aisle, eyes flickering between newspapers and magazines.

There's one magazine with the header _'All-Might, where is he now?'._ He glances at it, asks the question himself, before grabbing the first newspaper in his reach. He places it in his basket without a second glance, making his way to the till.

"Oh, wow, your Shouto, the super hero, right?" The cashier – a university student from the looks of him – says when he places his groceries on the conveyor belt. Shouto nods, places the empty basket with the others at the end of the till. "Oh wow dude, you're like, so awesome."

Shouto mutters ' _thanks_ ', grabs a bag and starts packing his items inside. It doesn't take him to long, but it certainly feels like it as the cashier starts recalling his latest fights against villains, describing them to him as if he'd not been the one fighting them. Shouto grabs his wallet from his coat, picks out the bills he needs.

"But you know what I like most about heroes like you, man?" The cashier asks as he's retrieving Shouto's change, "is that you guys don't got any time for the media. You ain't just doing it for the fame, you do it to help people."

Shouto tries to offer him a smile, but it comes out more of a grimace as he shoves his change into his pocket.

"Seriously man," the cashier says, and then quieter, as if he's disclosing a deep secret, "I kind of consider you the number one hero, you know? It used to be All-Might, but now I'm pretty sure you've taken his place."

Shouto's grimace falters, and he tries to feign happiness at being called someone's favourite – but being compared to All-Might… being told he's number one… Bile rises against his throat, leaving him feeling sickly his entire trip home.

By the time he makes his way back into his apartment, Shouto decides that he's not going to go back out again. He puts the chain on the latch, locks himself indoors and spends the rest of the day focusing on anything that will get the words _'number one hero'_ out of his head.

He rules out the possibility of walking the neighbourhood again.

* * *

Shouto's phone rings on the sixth day, and it's the final day Shouto _counts,_ probably because after this he realises it's not worth counting anymore. His phone rings, and Shouto glances down at the caller I.D. scowling as the word _'Endeavour'_ shows up.

Some people would type their father in as 'dad' or 'old man', Shouto keeps it impersonal and uses his professional name. It's the only way he can remain impartial to the man, without letting it _show_.

He places the tea he's been drinking – freshly brewed, although he's not sure if he likes this particular flavour – onto his coffee table, mutes the TV, and presses answer.

"Shouto," Endeavour says.

"Father," Shouto responds, because he needs to offer a _degree_ of respect to avoid being outed as a disappointment. With all the connections his father has, Shouto's certain Endeavour has the power to make it impossible for him to get a job at any other agency in Japan.

"When I received the news that you'd moved to a new doctor, I accepted it." Endeavour begins, in a tone that seems to claim this is a kindness on _his_ side. "When I received an email saying you'd fallen ill and needed a short leave to get better, _I wasn't happy about it,_ but I accepted it."

Shouto glances down, almost as if he's avoiding Endeavour's glare – they're not even in the same room, why? Why does the man leave him feeling like he will never be enough?

"But it's been a week now," Endeavour says – and oh yes, he's counting the half day he'd worked, so technically it _is_ a week, "and there's a difference between recuperating and _slacking off_."

Shouto bites his tongue, tastes metal against his taste buds, a metallic flavour that he washes away with the taste of tea.

"I don't want to be on leave," he says, mainly because it's true, life is so boring staying cooped up in his apartment, waiting to return to work, "but my doctor ordered it. I have to wait until he gives me the clear to come back."

Endeavour creates a sound that's a mix between a sigh and a growl. He says, "we'll transfer you back to the family doctor then, and he'll clear you for work again. I won't accept slacking off Shouto."

Shouto thinks about Midoriya. About how he'd react if Shouto suddenly called to switch back to his previous doctor, to a man Midoriya knows he'd not attend appointments with.

"The doctor says that if I don't fully rest," Shouto says after a moment, "then I'm at risk of being hospitalised, and it wouldn't… If I'm to become the number one hero," – he feels sick just at the thought – "then I can't afford to be hospitalised for a long time."

Endeavour growl crackles from the speaker.

"Fine," he spits. "But I'm not letting you slack off either. I want at least five hours training a day at the family estate so you're not out of practise when you come back to work. Understood?"

Shouto nods, realises he's talking on the phone and adds, "I understand."

"Good, tomorrow then. Be there for nine o'clock."

The line goes dead, and Shouto, feels his blood run cold. He should have been expecting this, he thinks, and yet after the first few days without any commentary from his father, he'd slowly let his guard down.

Shouto places his phone down, tells himself that he's calm, and picks the T.V. remote up. He unmutes the television, although the words don't register in his head, all he's processing are people smiling on the screen, all living their rosy-coloured lives, enjoying themselves while he's wrapped up in _grey._

Another smile.

 _Shouto is calm._

Another rosy-coloured life.

 _He's not angry at all_. _Not disappointed and tearing himself to pieces over a sickness he's got no control over._

Another person enjoying what he can't.

Shouto grits his teeth, hurls the remote towards the TV screen. The screen shatters around the remote, a circle that spreads, the rest of the screen going black. Shouto has to remind himself to breath.

He takes a step towards the wreck, before shaking his head, leaving the room behind before he can think any more on the topic.

* * *

Despite the sick feeling that had built in him as a result of the phone call, Shouto feels a sense of relief at the prospect of having something to do. He's not used to resting, to not having a busy work schedule, and while he knows sparring isn't what Midoriya had in mind when he'd ordered medical leave, Shouto can't keep… Sitting around his apartment, letting the lack of stimulation drain his spirit.

So, he catches the train to his family estate, even though he hates setting foot inside, and he spars.

Shouto practises hand-to-hand combat, making sure his reflexes remain quick. Some mornings, he practises with the man who taught him self-defence, a tutor employed by the Todoroki family, and other mornings – _terrible mornings_ – Endeavour is the one who trains him.

Endeavour, Shouto remembers as he loses his footing after being sent flying from a particularly heavy-footed kick, is not someone to work below 100% efficiency. He doesn't go easy on Shouto, which is a blessing, because it means Shouto has to focus, his mind unable to trail off into random thoughts.

Hitting the floor, Shouto makes sure to hit the mat properly, moving into a roll and getting back to his feet. It takes seconds, and by the time he's adjusted his footing so he's stable, Endeavour moves forward with another kick.

This time, Shouto braces, stops the kick, and pulls Endeavour nearer in an attempt to stagger his balance. Then, he surges forward, jabs at his father. The man dodges, although Shouto does think he clips the man several times.

The sparring almost acts as a medium for his own frustrations, with himself, with work, _with himself._ And Shouto doesn't feel better exactly, but he _does_ feel grounded.

* * *

By the time his next appointment comes, two weeks after his initial sick leave, Shouto is littered with bruises from sparring. His muscles ache, although the daily sparring matches have left him feeling more energetic, simply because it's the longest he's spent outside in years.

"We'll have to retake your bloods," Midoriya says, when Shouto sits down, making sure that none of his bruises from sparring are on show, "but today is just a general check-up to talk about your symptoms and how you're feeling."

The doctor turns to him, a notepad on his lap for any quick notes, and offers him a smile.

Shouto says, "okay," because he doesn't know what else to say.

"Your fever's gone," Midoriya says, as if it weren't obvious. He says, "how's your head, are you still getting headaches? Is there any lingering nausea?"

Shouto shakes his head no – he's _technically_ not lying, but that's because the nausea he's feeling is completely unrelated to any sickness he'd had before. The churning of his stomach is caused purely by the mention of being number one, of fulfilling the purpose he'd been conceived to achieve.

"That's good," Midoriya smiles, "and your diet, please tell me you've branched out from just onigiri and bread…"

"I've branched out," Shouto sighs, "listen, I've done what you've said. I'm taking the prescribed medicines, I'm eating more healthily… when can I go back to work?"

Midoriya's smile morphs into a frown, it's fuelled by unease and discontent, but Shouto doesn't look away from it now. He says, "I can't say anything for certain until I get your blood results back… but if they come back fine, you should be back at work soon."

The man doesn't look pleased admitting that. And he breathes out a sigh, the sound almost breathless.

"Just keep resting until your next blood test," Midoriya says. And he tilts his head, almost as if he's proud of Shouto for not having tried to go back into work behind his back, as if he'd been _expecting it_.

Shouto tries not to feel bad about the sparring, but after a brief hesitation, it becomes impossible.

"I'll book the blood test then," Shouto says, nods. It's not like he's been told not to spar, plus… there's no health risks to it involving illness and infection – Shouto's been training indoors and hasn't felt any after affects, there's nothing for him to be guilty about.

"Until then," Midoriya says, the check-up cut short. He walks Shouto to his door, _like he usually does,_ offers a small wave, before closing the door behind him.

And Shouto, glancing down at his watch, readies himself for another sparring match.

* * *

 _"Work harder,"_ Endeavour orders during their next sparring match, and Shouto does. What is meant to be a five-hour training day, with multiple breaks littered between them, soon drags out until the sun is going down, exhaustion running deep in his bones.

 _"I am,"_ Shouto responds, and he stays in his childhood room that night, sleeps at the family estate so he'll be ready for the next morning. Purple blotches cover his body, some fading away to green and yellow as the days drag on.

He sleeps better than he has in a while, mainly because fatigue wraps around him, pulling him into dreamless sleep as the days pass.

By the day of his blood test, Shouto feels the most rested – and exhausted, somehow – that he's been in years. He feels almost… not at peace, because he still feels rope coiled around his neck, a weight on his shoulder that he will never stop struggling beneath… but, well… now he's not drowning under a massive workload.

* * *

The blood test does not quite go the way Shouto is expecting.

He expects to step inside, talk to his doctor and receive the smile Midoriya always gives. Then, he'll roll up his sleeve, have his bloods taken and head home.

Instead, he feels tension the moment he steps inside the room. He still receives the smile, and it's as bright as ever – which means… Shouto is the one feeling nervous, as if something isn't going to go well.

"Todoroki!" Midoriya says as he sits down, and Shouto offers him a smile in response, something that comes out more of a grimace. "How are you feeling, better?"

Shouto takes a moment to think, before nodding. "Rested, I guess."

"Good," Midoriya says, and he leans onto his desk, places on gloves to ensure he's not getting germs _everywhere._ "Let's get started with your bloods, yes?"

The doctor stands, moving over to the cupboards, where he grabs some vials and a needle. Shouto's eyes follow him, and he hesitates, before shrugging off his jacket, and rolling up the sleeve of his shirt.

Shouto glances at his arm, winces at the bruises that litter the limb, before taking a breath. This isn't going to go _well,_ but he certainly doesn't need to _explain himself_ either.

Midoriya closes the cupboard, places the vials on his desk, and readies the needle. Then, he glances at Shouto, reaches forward with the tourniquet he'd had on his desk to make the blood sample easier to take. His eyes narrow.

The doctor places the tourniquet back on his desk and says, "what's all these bruises?"

Shouto glances at him, "they're just… bruises."

"You're supposed to be resting," Midoriya says, and he leans forward, narrow-eyed, exasperated and _angry_. "I've told you time and time again to rest."

"I have been resting." Shouto replies.

 _"And yet all I'm seeing are bruises."_ It's the first time Midoriya raises his voice – and somehow Shouto knows it will not be the last. "What have you been doing."

Shouto hesitates. "Sparring."

"I told you not to work!" Midoriya cries, "does your health really mean nothing to you?"

At this point Shouto's own eyes narrow. Maybe he shouldn't get mad at the doctor, he's only trying to _help_ , but irritation bubbles up inside him. This is the man that practically forced him to become a patient, who's taken him from work and made things difficult as a result.

He'd not be stuck thinking about the fact that he's got _nothing_ other than work, if he'd not been told by the man that he lives such a _lonely existence._

"I've not been working," Shouto says, voice terse, but quieter than Midoriya's is. "You've made that impossible, you won't clear me for work. Remember?"

"Yes," Midoriya says, "I haven't cleared you, and yet you're _doing so anyway._ How else do you explain the… these bruises?"

Shouto crosses his arms. "I've not been working, I've been sparring. That's different."

"I told you to rest!"

A stupid word – rest. Does the man expect him to just sit around and do nothing for _weeks_ until he's back on his feet? Endeavour was right, Shouto can't _slack off_ , and there's only so much time he can rest before he's taking advantage of those around him and pushing his luck.

"I have." He says, "I rested when I was feverish. I did for a week, but there's only so much time I can spend doing _nothing."_

Midoriya narrows his eyes. "I tell you to rest so you'll heal, and you come in more bruised than you had been when you were working. What's wrong with you? Why can't you just take time for yourself and relax?"

"I did." Shouto protests.

"No," Midoriya shakes his head, "are you incapable of looking after yourself?"

"I'm not incapable."

"Well, it certainly seems that way!" Midoriya cries, and he balls his hands into fists, struggling with his irritation.

"I'm not incapable," Shouto repeats. "You just don't understand."

"I don't understand why you can't look after yourself? No, I most certainly do _not_ understand. There's nothing to understand!"

 _"I don't have the time to look after myself."_ Shouto shouts, and his voice breaks as he raises it, the most unhinged it's become since… since _forever._ "I've got work and I've got to succeed and God, there's all this pressure and I can't slack off because if I do _what do I even exist for?"_

He's riled up enough that he needs to take a moment to breathe. He gasps, swallowing down air. He stands, glancing away from Midoriya's shocked expression, the expression turning from angry to…

Shouto doesn't want to search for meaning in the other man's widened eyes, so he turns away from them, forces his way over to the door.

"Todoroki-"

Shouto ignores him. He lets the door swing on his way out.

* * *

 _The author very much so enjoys reviews!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Notes: Thanks for the favs/follows/reviews you guys!_

* * *

Shouto turns his phone off.

He doesn't think about the implications of turning his mobile off, leaving it dead in his pocket as he storms away from the clinic, because he knows if he does, he'll only end up turning it back on.

He considers going home, but eventually decides against it. He's seen too much of grey walls, and as much as they used to be a comfort – not too bright that it makes him dizzy to look at – now they're just stifling.

Where to go then?

Shouto isn't sure. There's not really anything he can do; Midoriya had been right about that at least, his existence _is_ a lonely one, and it shows because there's no one he can phone to talk to.

Well… he could phone Yaoyorozu, but they're not… their relationship isn't one based on reassuring one another. They're friends, in the sense where they're both workaholics, lives consumed with work.

Even if she'd be nice enough to offer support, Shouto doesn't feel comfortable asking for it.

Fine then, Shouto's perfectly fine without people. He's not talked about his problems before, so he's not going to start now. An argument with his _doctor_ of all people isn't going to change that.

His family estate for more sparring seems less than ideal, so he scratches that thought from his head. Plus, he's already done enough hours of sparring this week, as per Endeavour's requirements.

Fighting, he thinks, is off the table. At least for today. He'll have to go back tomorrow, ensure he's keeping up with the work load that has been placed upon him. The thought that he should just go back to work, pick up the paperwork he'd left unfinished when first beginning his sick leave, is quickly disregarded as well. That would mean facing Yaoyorozu, and somehow, he feels like she'll let _Midoriya know_.

 _"It's for your own sake,"_ he imagines her saying, and it's incomprehensible just how betrayed he feels by the version of her in his own mind. Because, there had been _hints,_ he must have left some behind for her to pick up on, ways he's interacted with his father in the past and…

"Goddammit," Shouto mutters to himself, hand wrapping around his hair, pulling just enough that it stings, but not enough that he'll tear it out. "That man is _insufferable."_

He walks, not knowing where he's going, each step lacking _purpose._ It's not fair, he thinks, because he is sore, and in pain and all he's done is do what people ask of him and yet it is never _enough._

"I…" Shouto continues, and if people glance at him twice it's because he's a pro hero and not because he's talking to himself under his breath. "I give up."

He glances around, and when he's certain there's no one around to hear – no civilians, or heroes, or doctors, or even _Endeavour,_ he shouts it out, " _do you hear me? I give up."_

* * *

Later, when he returns to his apartment, ready to just cease existing for the night, Yaoyorozu is sat outside his door. She's sleeping – it's late by the time he gets home, although without a phone it's hard to decipher the time. From the way people had been moving in and out of bars on their way home from work, festive, he'd rate the time between midnight and two a.m.

For a moment, Shouto considers turning around, leaving this confrontation before it can begin, but then he sees the smallest outline of a shiver. He curses Yaoyorozu under his breath, bites into his cheek and steps forward – just sitting outside despite the cold… she's nothing short of an idiot.

Shouto sighs, takes a moment to breath, before making his way towards his door.

Yaoyorozu opens her eyes as he makes his way nearer, her gazes flickers upwards, as if surveying for any danger. It's a common thing, he supposes, with heroes, they get so used with fighting villains, that it's ingrained into them to always be on guard.

"Todoroki," she says, as she rubs at her eyes, pulling herself up to her feet. She doesn't say anything more, watches him for any sign of emotion. Shouto pulls his key from his pocket, unlocks the door and pushes it open.

He glances at Yaoyorozu, breathes out a sigh and says, "I've got tea or coffee, which would you prefer."

It's the closest thing to an invitation into the apartment as she's going to get, and Yaoyorozu knows it. Shouto walks in, leaves the door for her to come in, before placing the spare set of slippers on the floor for her, swapping into his own.

Then, he heads into his kitchen.

Yaoyorozu follows behind him, at a slower pace, as if she's taking in the general _gloom_ to the entire apartment. Shouto lets her, says 'okay' when she asks for tea, filling his kettle and putting on the stove to boil.

He grabs the tea from the cupboard, grabs two cups and generally tries to avoid eye contact for as long as possible until finally Yaoyorozu states the reason for her visit.

"You weren't answering your calls." Yaoyorozu says at last, when he turns to her, passing her some tea. "Which isn't like you, so I… thought I'd check in on you."

"My phone must be dead," Shouto says, plucking it from his pocket and placing it on the side. It's easier to go with that story, than to admit he'd turned it off following an argument with Midoriya. "Sorry to worry you."

He picks up his own cup, stares at the tea, before sitting opposite Yaoyorozu at his kitchen table. He takes a sip, scalds his tongue in an attempt not to be the first one to break the silence.

Yaoyorozu remains silent, looks around his kitchen. She's always been stubborn, although her stubbornness has never been used on _him_.

He breaks the silence, "what were you calling for? Something work related?"

"No," Yaoyorozu shakes her head, "it's not always work related with us you know… Or I thought it wasn't, but I haven't heard from you since you've been off. I've been worried about you, you know?"

Shouto glances down at his tea so that he doesn't need to look at her, her lips tighten, not quite a frown, but certainly not pleased either.

"I'm sorry," Shouto says, mainly because he'd had the previous impression – that it _is_ always work related between them, that they're friends due to circumstances, working together so often, and not because… not because Yaoyorozu had thought him worthy of being her friend. "I should have kept you in the know."

Yaoyorozu offers him a nod. She takes a sip of her own tea, cups her hands around it and just _breathes_ , taking a moment to sort through her thoughts. She doesn't smile, but she appears calmer now.

"It's alright," she says. "So… have you got any idea when you'll be back? Has Midoriya given you a rough estimate?"

Shouto pauses, shakes his head. "Not really, after my next blood tests I suppose."

Blood tests that _should_ have been today, would have brought him closer to going back to day-to-day life if he hadn't lashed out and gotten angry. And yet, he'd walked out before the tests could be taken, all because he couldn't keep himself calm.

Instead of remaining calm, he'd reacted in the same explosive way he'd expect his father would… Shouto feels a wave of self-hatred surge through him at the thought of being anything like him.

"Oh," Yaoyorozu says, "well, hopefully it's soon. I've missed having you around."

She smiles then, and Shouto grimaces back, lifting his cup up and sipping at his own. It's not too hot – not for him anyway – and after a moment of sipping, he swallows a gulp down, trying not to think about what that means.

He feels faintly guilty, because his mind hadn't even focused on Yaoyorozu, even though they're supposed to be friends.

"Yeah." Shouto says, "I hope so too."

They're quiet then, for a few more moments, before Yaoyorozu's gaze flickers again around his kitchen, summing up the room. The silence stretches out, and then, at last she says, "your apartment is… not what I was expecting."

Shouto grimaces. "You mean it's dull."

"No, no, I didn't mean-"

"It's alright." Shouto says, glances down at his cup. The tea ripples as he moves tilts his cup back and forth – a gentle movement, but creating extreme motion for the liquid inside. It almost reminds him of Midoriya, gentle words at first creating such a vivid result. "I admit it's bland."

"Maybe a few photographs would liven it up," Yaoyorozu states, and she offers him a smile as she glances around. "It's weird that you haven't got any up."

Shouto's grimace falters, and he glances away.

He doesn't actually have any photographs, hasn't printed any, or kept any hidden away in the bottom of his cupboard. There has never been the need for them, not when there had been nothing to record.

He might have a few back in his childhood room, but they're not pictures he likes to look at, just bitter memories that he'd rather avoid remembering. He doesn't think he owns any photographs, actually, that he'd deem happy enough to put up – well… except maybe for one, but even then, it'd be…

Shouto doesn't feel like he has the right to display _that_ photograph anywhere inside his house.

"…I don't have any to put up." Shouto admits.

Yaoyorozu blinks. "Not even of your family, you've got siblings, right?"

He does. And he loves his siblings, but they've… they've found some sort of escape from the family, in some way or another, and Shouto is the one who's being pressured into being the best hero.

"We're not… close." He says, and it stings to say, because it's clue.

For a minute, there is silence. Yaoyorozu's expression shifts multiple times, between uncertainty, nervousness and confusion. And then, "…Todoroki… what exactly is your family relationship like…?"

The question catches him off guard.

Glancing at Yaoyorozu, he comes to see that she'd meant for it to. He can't look her in the eyes, and she… It's almost as this is not just a spur of the moment question.

"I've known it's not the best relationship," she continues, and her voice is calm, steady. "But I thought if I let you tell me in your own time, it'd be easier on you but… _but it's been years Todoroki_ , and… and I know you haven't had anyone to talk to."

Shouto glances at her now, defensive but not _angry._

"No," Yaoyorozu says, "don't give me that look… See, I didn't notice it until you went on sick leave, but… but you never came in for the psychologist sessions. And I started recalling how I'd never seen you go to one, even though they're mandatory and – and you hadn't gone to the _doctor either."_

"Yaoyorozu…"

"And… And I just, Todoroki I'm _worried_ about you." She hefts out a deep breath, finally catching his eye. "We've been friends for years, and you've offered me an ear whenever I've had worries, but… but you've never let me do the same, and I'm worried about the long-term impacts keeping everything bottled up will do to you."

Shouto bites his tongue.

"It's…" he breaks eye contact. "I-It's complicated, I guess."

Yaoyorozu sighs, "I was expecting you to say something like that."

The words feel almost like a slap, cold and icy against his skin. They shouldn't be, but the idea that she's placed expectations onto him makes him feel slightly… Shouto shakes the thoughts away.

Maybe it would be better if he just _shared_ something with her. He's been keeping quiet for years that it might just be better if he finally talks about it.

He swallows another gulp of tea, places the cup back onto the table as if it's about to shatter at any moment.

"My relationship with my parents…" Shouto heaves his shoulders, tries not to slump at the memory of the story he's about to tell. He readies himself anyway. "Well… I guess I could summarise it up with one story."

Yaoyorozu falls quiet, blinks across at him. Clearly, she'd not been expecting any response to the question. Or at least, not one that hadn't involved the question being side tracked.

"Did I ever tell you how I got this scar?" And he points now, to the scar marring the left side of his face, over his eye.

"…I think so," Yaoyorozu is quiet, "you told me it was an accident, you pulled something off the stove as a child."

"That was a lie." Shouto says, and he glances away, decides that he doesn't want to see Yaoyorozu's expression when she realises that he's been lying to her for years. No matter his reason, he knows it doesn't suffice the deceit. "It didn't happen like that."

She remains quiet, it urges him to continue.

"Endeavour… has wanted me to fulfil a certain goal ever since I was born… and well, he'd been quite forceful when I was younger. My mother did what she could to protect my siblings and I but… living in the same house with _him_ wasn't healthy, and she couldn't handle it."

He glances up at Yaoyorozu. She's stilled, waiting for him to continue.

"And well… my left side. It… It only ever reminded her of my father, and one day she couldn't take the cope with that anymore."

Yaoyorozu's eyes widen. She mouths Shouto's name, but no words come out.

"So, she got the kettle, and my scar is the result. I've not seen her since."

He stands now, effectively cutting any questions Yaoyorozu might ask him short. He grabs his cup, and Yaoyorozu's, since it's empty, and he places them in the sink.

"Todoroki-"

"You asked my relationship," Shouto continues. "I guess it can be summed up with the fact that I hate my father, and my mother hates me… I'm going to bed, if you want, the couch is yours."

"Thank you," Yaoyorozu whispers, and it takes a moment to realise she means _sharing,_ rather than a place to stay now that the subway's closed for the evening.

Shouto nods, brings out a blanket for her, and whispers, "you're welcome."

* * *

By the time he wakes the next morning, Yaoyorozu is gone.

Shouto feels almost glad, because they won't have to figure out how to interact with one another after the… sharing session, for the evening before. She leaves a note though, something Shouto waits to read until he's woken up a little bit more.

He waits for coffee to boil, cooks some rice and mixes two eggs into it, before sitting down at his table and finally looking at the note.

 _Todoroki – thanks for letting me stay the night, and for opening up. Charge your phone next time, okay?_

 _And… I know it's not my place to say – but what happened with your scars happened when you were five, right? I don't think people can hold on to hate like that for twenty years._

 _-Momo_

Shouto reads the note once, _twice._ He keeps rereading it as he eats his breakfast, until he's stood, ready to wash up and do something with his day. He's got a faint idea of what he should do, an idea brought on by Yaoyorozu, although he's hesitant.

Eventually, he nods his head.

He turns his phone back on, skims over missed calls – two from his father, multiple from Yaoyorozu, and one from Midoriya's clinic. He doesn't answer them, _not now,_ and instead, he grabs his jacket, and locks his apartment door behind him.

* * *

Shouto steps through mechanical doors, walks up to the secretary and offers his name. Then, he makes his way towards the room, nervousness constricting around him as he makes his way forward.

He stops outside of the room labelled, _Todoroki._

Like he'd told Yaoyorozu – he has not seen his mother in years. Unlike his siblings, who have all visited at one point or another, Shouto hasn't even set foot in the hospital before today. He's not sure whether the need to avoid her was born of his desire to keep his mother from hurting at the sight of him, or cowardice.

He thinks it's probably both.

Shouto's been trying for years not to grow into his father. He's refused to fight with his fire, and he probably will as his career continues, mainly because he doesn't want the recognition that comes with it. And… yet, despite all of the hatred he harbours for Endeavour, he's not tried to worm his way out of the man's plan.

Shouto feels almost like it's necessary to speak to the woman who reached her breaking point and broke past it.

He wants to know whether he'll survive it, when he passes his.

After a second, Shouto pushes open the door, closes it behind him. And he stares at the woman sat looking out the window, white hair curling at the ends. She's calm here, a contrast to the woman who'd raised him, each memory of her tainted with tears.

"…Hi mum."

She turns, glances across to him. And for a moment, something flashes across her face – an emotion he doesn't know her well enough to decipher. Then, her expression settles into the smallest half-smile.

"Shouto," his mother whispers, and it's hesitant, filled with unsaid words and emotions she, like Shouto himself, has probably tried to supress. Shouto tries to smile back at her in response, but he can't meet her eyes, and a grimace doesn't seem good enough so he lets his lips tighten.

"May I?" He asks, pointing towards the seat beside her. So far, he's been standing against the door, not feeling brave enough to take another step inside. His mother nods, which eases some of the unease that's wrapping around him.

"Look at you," his mother whispers, when he takes a step forward, "you're all grown up."

Shouto sits.

* * *

Shouto avoids sparring the next day.

And then the next.

He also makes sure to let Endeavour's phone calls go through to voice mail. He's not sure what he's going to do about the man, purely because he's been working for the man all his life, and there's nothing he can really do now to change that fact without facing repercussions.

Midoriya doesn't phone, which is probably a good thing, because Shouto doesn't know what he'd say to the doctor following their argument.

Shortly after visiting his mother, he visits his siblings. It's difficult talking to them, with the weight of their father pulling them down, but Shouto thinks it might be a start – if he can brave his mother, then his siblings he decides, won't be impossible to talk to either.

He keeps trying to make a small amount of leeway with his family as his sick leave grows more and more extended, until finally, it's a Tuesday afternoon, three o'clock in the afternoon.

It's an odd time for her to call, seeing as it's work hours, but he answers the call regardless.

"Hello?"

"Todoroki," Yaoyorozu doesn't even greet him, but he doesn't mind. One thing he likes about her, is how she gets straight to the point. She lets out a slightly jumpy laugh, something that puts Shouto on guard. "I just quit the agency."

Shouto blinks. People don't just _quit_ the best agency in Japan.

"What?"

"I've been thinking it over since I visited," Yaoyorozu continues, and yes, she sounds very odd, unlike herself. "And I couldn't… I'm not able to work for Endeavour, not now that I know the kind of man he is. So I finally handed my resignation in today."

Shouto pales from where he's standing in the middle of the street. He stops walking, practically struggling to find the words.

"He'll make it so no other agency will take you," Shouto says, and he'd… God, when he'd told her about Endeavour, he'd not done so with the idea that she'd quit her job over it. Shouto had just wanted her to know, for _someone_ to know.

"Good," Yaoyorozu says, and there's a determination in her voice now, a calm steel that he's not heard before. "Because I'm not going to another agency, I'm starting my own."

There are… so many implications to that. Shouto doesn't even know how to begin.

"That's… impossible, you need more than just you to run an agency-"

She clicks her tongue, hums approval. Yaoyorozu says, "I know. But I also know, that as much as Uravity enjoys working for Gunhead, she wants to move to a new agency. Same with some of our other classmates from U.A."

Shouto bites his tongue. "…Good luck, I suppose."

There's a sigh on the other side of the phone, something akin to exasperation – it's spreading. First Midoriya, not Yaoyorozu, will it ever end? – and then:

"I want you to come to." She doesn't give him time to refuse. "You said Endeavour's always placed goals on you right? Well… I think staying at his agency only means fulfilling his. It's time to break away and place your own."

Shouto hesitates. "I don't-"

"Todoroki," Yaoyorozu cuts in, _again,_ "I'm not asking for you to come and work for me. I'm asking for you to be my partner in this agency. You'll get to be a hero on your _own_ terms. No one else's."

He's quiet, and Shouto knows that she's giving him the time to think it through. She probably doesn't want him to come to a decision this quickly, but well… this is something that would be an escape. He's set to inherit Endeavour's agency when his father retires, and yet – it's a legacy Shouto doesn't want.

An _agency_ he doesn't want.

Yet, starting his own, with Yaoyorozu backing him up… It seems like something he'd like to do. And maybe he wouldn't have any set goals that he wants to achieve, but it'd be a place where he could find some in his own time.

"You don't have to decide today-"

"Okay." Shouto interrupts this time. And after a moment, slightly shocked at his own response, he repeats it. "Okay, let's start an agency."

"Great," Yaoyorozu says, and from the crackling of the speakers, it's most likely she nods to herself as she says it. "This is great, we'll have to look into finding a building to operate from, and figure out some more details before we can give word to the others, but we should be fine… We'll have to meet up to hash out the details, okay?"

Shouto hums his agreement.

"And oh-" Yaoyorozu says as if it's only just creeped into her mind, "you'll need to get cleared for work again before we can go pro. So… get better soon, okay?"

"I will," Shouto says, before they both say their goodbyes.

It's the push that spurs him to actually phone up the clinic again, something he'd been tiptoeing about, purely because he doesn't want to deal with the confrontation. For someone who makes a living confronting villains, he doesn't want to fight with Midoriya.

* * *

From the moment Shouto sets foot back in the clinic, an awkward tension wraps around him and Midoriya. He decides that he wants to erase it as quickly as he can, offers an apology for storming out when the doctor had only been _worried_ about his health.

"Don't apologise," Midoriya says, and he tilts his head, offers a tight smile as Shouto rolls up his sleeve, grabbing a needle and some vials from his cupboard. "It was mostly my fault. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you, I'm sorry."

And like that, the tension is gone.

Midoriya glances at his arm as he tightens the tourniquet, a small smile on his face when he realises that he's not received any more bruises from sparring.

"It's alright," Shouto says, and offers him a smile of his own. Then, he glances down, watches as Midoriya draws blood into a vial.

He draws a second vial, places them both on his desk before reaching for a cotton swab on his desk. Midoriya presses the swab against the crook of Shouto's elbows, fingers lingering on his skin as he does, before he pulls medical tape from his pocket, taping the swab down to stem any blood flow.

Midoriya is silent. He presses his lips into a thin line, turns back to apply the correct labels to the vials of blood, before placing them with other vials from other patients. When he turns back, his smile is gone, and he's only _serious_.

"I'm transferring your care to another doctor in this clinic," he says, after a second of hesitation. Shouto feels himself stop, frowns at the words.

"What?"

"I… Todoroki, I cannot be your doctor," and he looks upset about the decision. Unwavering, but still upset. "I… I can't offer you the professionalism a doctor should, so I'm transferring your care to Amano, a doctor within this clinic."

It… doesn't make sense.

"Is this about the argument?" Shouto asks. And he's confused, because this man practically _volunteered_ to become his doctor, nothing about him has been very professional from the very beginning, and… and Shouto _likes that about him_.

"Not just the argument." Midoriya says. "Although… that made me realise it. I've impeded on your work place, I made you meals when you were ill. Doctors don't do that for their patients, and it's a degree of professionalism I've failed to give you."

 _Shouto likes that about him_.

"I don't understand," Shouto says, because frankly, _he doesn't._ "Aren't you Bakugou's doctor? And yet, you must lack some professionalism with him, seeing as he's your friend too."

"Kacchan… we're childhood friends that didn't manage to extend that relationship to later life." Midoriya glances away, "there is no lack of professionalism, with him as my patient."

"I see." Shouto says, although he doesn't. It must show on his expression, because Midoriya's expression falters, grows slightly worried, with a pale tinge to his skin. Now, the doctor turns to look at him, gaze meeting Shouto's.

"Todoroki, I'm lacking professionalism because… I see you more as a friend than as a patient. And it means I cannot be impartial in your care, or with the decisions you make regarding your own health." He clasps his hands together, squeezes them.

His hands go white.

Shouto tries not to feel disappointed.

"I can't offer you professional care anymore," Midoriya says, "but I can offer you my friendship."

* * *

 _The author very much so enjoys reviews!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Notes: Thanks for the favs/follows/reviews you guys! Only one more chapter after this one!_

* * *

Shouto gets cleared for work.

He returns to his father's agency with a letter in hand and nervous energy aching his bones, something that makes him feel slightly sick. The unease grows when he notices the cleared desk opposite his, the space Yaoyorozu had once kept, now blank and devoid of human interaction.

Still, Shouto pulls out his chair, sits and takes a moment to think.

Between him and Yaoyorozu, it _is_ possible for them to run their own agency. And if his friend can promise him workers, then Shouto can run the risk of stepping out from Endeavour's shadow, whether he gets a good response or not.

 _Okay,_ Shouto thinks, and he glances at the papers on his desk, all important paperwork that he won't be completing. _I just need to go into his office, and give him the notice._

Working as a hero is difficult. Not because of the villains – fight enough and eventually workers will fall into rhythm with their colleagues – but because of the rules wrapped around it. While they were teaching Shouto about heroism at U.A, Endeavour had been teaching him about _legislation._

And part of working for Endeavour's hero agency means signing a noncompete disclosure at the beginning, stating if they leave, they cannot work as heroes for at least a month following their resignation.

Shouto takes a moment to think – most heroes wouldn't leave Endeavour's agency purely because of the contract they're bound to. Mainly because if you leave one agency, you need to sign on to another quickly, or risk not getting a job at _any._

So, together Shouto and Yaoyorozu will be restricted for a month. They'll have to use that month to find an office to work out of, to come up with suitable funds and to run the agency through the _HN –_ the hero network – to become a legitimate agency.

A month should be plenty of time to set up the basics.

"Alright," Shouto nods his head, pushes out from his desk, and makes his way to Endeavour's office. He tries to seem calm, thinks of Yaoyorozu and Midoriya – both trying to offer him help – and knocks on the door. "I can do this."

The booming _'come in'_ spurs him forwards.

Shouto pushes forward, pushes the door open with tense shoulders, his resignation letter in his hand. He closes the door behind him, glances at his father. There's a distinct lack of flames – as much as his father uses his quirk, the man can't exactly fill out paper work when he's burning everything to a crisp.

"Shouto," Endeavour says, and he doesn't look pleased to see him, but there is something in his eyes that seems… Proud isn't quite the word, more accomplished, glad to have created something that will outshine even _All-Might._

Well maybe he will, Shouto thinks, but it will be on _his_ terms.

"What do you want?" Endeavour says, and he's frowning, but that's only because it's his everyday expression. Shouto gives him exactly _half a minute,_ before he starts outright glaring.

"I wanted to hand you this." He passes the letter towards his father, trying not to let the man's expression deter him. "It's a letter of resignation."

"You're not resigning," Endeavour says, and he doesn't even look at the letter before flames envelop it, flaking away into ashes as he lets it drop into his bin. Shouto puts his hands in his pockets, readies himself for whatever lecture he receives. "You're going to work to the plan I created you for."

"I'm not working here anymore."

A scowl. "No other hero agency will take you when I'm through with you. You'll work here, and you'll best All-Might, do you understand?"

Shouto shakes his head. "I will become the best hero, but only on my terms. Not yours."

He reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls out a second envelope, and slams it onto Endeavour's desk. He takes a moment to stare his father in the eyes, a sign of defiance, before turning his back on the man.

"The letter is a formality, father." Shouto says, "you can burn this one too, but I'm leaving either way."

And with that, Shouto leaves his father's agency behind.

* * *

"So, you and Yaoyorozu are starting your own agency?" Midoriya says, the following week when they meet up for lunch. It's their first interaction as friends, so they've settled on doing something simple – eating food.

They're sat in a restaurant just around the road from Midoriya's clinic. It's a nice area, although the server does wink at the doctor as if their lunch is something more than just _lunch_.

"Yeah," Shouto nods, as he takes a sip of water. "We've got the permissions to open the hero agency, we're just looking for the offices now."

Midoriya tilts his head. Chews on soba noodles as he thinks – he's got this habit, Shouto's realised, of scrunching his nose every time he's pondering something. That, and the _muttering_.

"There are some buildings on sale across from the clinic," Midoriya says, after a moment. "they've just finished rebuilding them, following a villain attack in the area a few months back."

Shouto chews on his own soba noodles, takes the information in stride. He'll have to mention it to Yaoyorozu, because it _is_ a rather reputable area and near enough to the main districts that seem to be overwhelmed with crime – Shibuya and Shinjuku.

"I'll mention it to Yaoyorozu," Shouto responds, and he crosses his arms, "she's a little bit tense because we've not made much leeway yet."

Midoriya hums. "And you, aren't you nervous about this?"

Shouto shakes his head _'no'_. He says, "there's not much we can do until our noncompete ends. Until then, we can relax on finding the location and setting up the business end."

The doctor smiles, "you can admit you're a little excited about it, you know."

"I'm not-" Shouto breaks off at the playful grin he receives, takes a bite of his noodles. "Okay, I guess maybe I'm a little bit excited."

"I knew it!" Midoriya cheers. "You look happier today, so I just _knew_ you're excited about this agency!"

Shouto offers him a smile.

* * *

"Across the street from Midoriya's clinic?" Yaoyorozu's expression is contemplative, and she takes a moment to think it over before nodding her head. "Even if we don't choose it, we can always just look at the offices and see how much it'd cost to rent the space."

Shouto nods his head. They're both sat inside his apartment, sat in his living room, each on opposite ends of his couch. Yaoyorozu has a notepad in her lap, from where she's sat cross-legged, and she's been writing what they need to do for the agency for the past thirty minutes.

"We'll need to get a rough estimate what we can afford," Shouto says, and he's scrolling at various other buildings and their estimated prices. "So, we should visit the bank before we check out any offices."

"I'll book an appointment then," Yaoyorozu says, leaning towards the table to grab her phone. As she flicks through it, readying the call, she says, "and as soon as we've got an office, we can tell the others."

The others… Shouto isn't sure what it's going to be like running an agency filled with his old classmates, but there's unease at that. He'd never really talked to them much, hadn't made the same bonds that Yaoyorozu had…

He leaves her to the call, glances at the message that pops up on his phone. Midoriya – questioning whether he's _actually eaten_ lunch today, or whether he needs to drag him out for tempura.

Tempura sounds nice, Shouto thinks, but he does also need to be polite and he can't exactly leave Yaoyorozu behind.

"They put me on hold," Yaoyorozu sighs, glancing at her phone. Then, raising an eyebrow, "you're frowning at your phone."

He is. Shouto's beginning to wonder when he became so expressive – he's not usually like this.

"I've been invited to lunch," Shouto says, by way of explanation. "I'm wondering how to decline without seeming rude."

"Oh, I see." Yaoyorozu nods her head, pauses, and now her eyebrows raise even higher. "Wait, lunch with… Midoriya right?" She doesn't give Shouto a chance to respond, it must show on his expression, "that's the second time this week."

Shouto crosses his arms. He says, "what's wrong with that."

"Nothing," Yaoyorozu says, and she places her phone back to her ear, sighs as she realises she's still on hold. "It's just, twice in a week seems less like friendship, and more like _courtship_."

"It's not like that-"

Yaoyorozu stands, grabs her messenger bag from the side of the couch, shoving her notebook inside. She offers Shouto a smile, "I've got some errands I need to fill out anyway, go enjoy your _friend lunch,_ and I'll text you the time for the bank, okay?"

"I said it's not _like that Yaoyo-_ " Shouto narrows his eyes, "stop giving me that expression. Stop it."

She does not stop. If anything, Yaoyorozu's smile is bright as she throws her bag over her shoulder, waltzing out of the door with a lazy wave. "All right, all right. I'll give it a rest. See you later."

Shouto doesn't have much time to respond to her leaving – his door is closed with a click, before he can even stand himself. It's all extremely abrupt, and he finds himself staring after Yaoyorozu even though she's gone.

"Huh," Shouto mutters, before turning back to his phone.

 _'Tempura sounds good,'_ he texts Midoriya, and tries to level the blush that Yaoyorozu has forced to his cheeks.

* * *

"So where exactly does the nickname Kacchan come from anyway?" Shouto asks. The two of them aren't eating lunch this time, but they _are_ shopping. Or rather – Midoriya's shopping, and Shouto holding the man's basket as he checks vegetables to make sure they're _good._

"Oh, it's just a play on the fact that Kacchan's first name is Katsuki. That's all." Midoriya says, placing some lentils into the basket. He bites at his lip, "are you sure you don't want me to take that?"

"It's fine," Shouto says. He's not really sure how they've got to doing this, but Shouto had been in the area after Yaoyorozu and he had looked at the offices – _it's a nice space, Shouto favours it out of all the one's they've viewed –_ and when he'd popped his head in the clinic, Midoriya had been on his way out for the evening.

Midoriya gives him a _look_ , which Shouto's pretty sure is distrust for his basket holding skills. He offers a wounded expression in response.

"Just pick up your vegetables," Shouto says when the man doesn't say anything. And Midoriya huffs out a sigh, before turning away to grab carrots and potatoes, muttering under his breath as he does so.

"Why're you getting so much anyway?" Shouto asks as they make their way over to the discount meats, the evening sale rife, "you live alone, right?"

Midoriya nods. "My mother comes over for dinner once a month, so I'm making sure I've got enough ingredients for dinner."

"This is a bit… much for just two people, isn't it?" Shouto asks, as Midoriya places pork in basket. He follows the doctor down the aisle as they make their way to the check out. At this point, when Midoriya asks for the basket back, Shouto hands it over.

"Oh yeah, All-Might is coming over as well," Midoriya says, placing items onto the conveyor belt. He says it like it's an afterthought, as if he's talking about just another guest and not the number one hero in the world. _Who does that?_

"Right," Shouto mutters, watching the man bag his items up.

"Plus, I always like having a little left over, I'll take it in to work so I don't need to worry about lunch the next morning."

Like with their previous conversations, he offers little in way of explanation for his connection to All-Might. Shouto finds himself thinking about it, even as Midoriya pays for his groceries, even when the two of them leave, making their way towards the train station.

"So…" Shouto asks when they're waiting for the next train, "how exactly do you know All-Might?"

Midoriya turns to him, offers a small grin. He leans back against the wall, glancing at other workers done for the day. Shouto tries to avoid the looks of random civilians, _fails,_ and decides that it's just one of those things he's got to deal with as a hero.

"Oh, is that why you've been stuck in thought during our walk?" Midoriya offers a short laugh, grins. "Well… All-Might saved me from a villain when I was a teenager, how else was I supposed to meet the number one hero, right?"

Shouto raises his eyebrow. All-Might had saved thousands… no, hundreds of thousands of civilians. And Midoriya had left a lasting image? Well… Midoriya _does_ have a way of being memorable, Shouto finds himself thinking of the man a lot.

"I asked him if he thought I could become a hero, even though…" He pauses, scratches at his cheek as they redden, his shoulders curling inwards with embarrassment, "even though I'm quirkless."

Quirkless?

The doctor had never given an indication that he'd be… not that Shouto particularly cares either way, Midoriya's amazing whether he's got one or not. But, why's he embarrassed about not having one? It's not…

"And…?"

"And All-Might was the first person to tell me _no,"_ Midoriya offers the faint crackle of a laugh. "I was determined to prove him wrong, you know? So I taught myself first aid, and every time there was a villain attack I made sure I was there to help the injured. Civilians, heroes and villains. Anyone who needed it."

"You wanted to become a hero," Shouto mutters, and Midoriya looks at him, almost guiltily. As if he thinks it was a stupid dream to have. Shouto offers him another awkward smile, "I can imagine it."

Midoriya's smile brightens. "Really?"

Shouto nods.

"Sometimes I wish I'd tried regardless," Midoriya continues, and they step forward as their train comes into the station, smiling at one another as they wait for people to exit through the doors. "But, then I remember I only wanted to be a hero to help people – and I can do plenty of that as a doctor."

"Wait…" Shouto says as they pile through the doors – there are no seats available, so they lean by the side of the doors, trying to keep their balance as the train starts to move. "But how did that lead to All-Might becoming a frequent _dinner guest?"_

Midoriya laughs, "he got used to seeing me patch up the people he saved. Eventually he suggested I go to medical school, so my showing up at villain attack sites would be official."

* * *

They choose to use the offices opposite Midoriya's clinic.

Shouto is glad, and after the first payment, he and Yaoyorozu step inside the vacant rooms, summing up the equipment they need to buy. They'll need desks – obviously – and computers and all of the other things that make an office an _office._

There some rooms they can use as locker rooms, for heroes to change in and out of their costumes, and they'll have to fill those, although the lockers themselves shouldn't be too expensive.

And… well – they won't need a doctor on sight, seeing as Midoriya's clinic is right across the room. They'll have to get in contact with a psychologist for the agency though, to ensure they fulfill the requirements set for heroes. What else… the break room will need to be furnished, but there's not too much.

Well – there's a lot they need to do, but looking through a catalogue for everything they need isn't too difficult. In fact, with Yaoyorozu's notebook and a few hours rechecking they've got everything they need, they call up and make an order on the furniture they need.

There's a wait – _there's always a wait_ – but it means they're actually doing this. They're starting their own agency.

"I'll let the others know that we've got an agency we can run," Yaoyorozu says over the phone, once they're home for the evening. "And they'll be able to prepare their resignation letters, if they want to move to us."

"Yeah," Shouto says, "okay. It'll take a while for their resignation letters to go through anyway. Tell them they can do a straight transfer if it's easier."

Yaoyorozu hums agreement.

Shouto goes to sleep wondering which classmates from U.A he'll be working alongside, when his agency officially opens.

* * *

"Let's work well together, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu!" Uraraka says when she steps over the threshold into the newly furnished agency. She's in civilian clothes, having brought a backpack with her, her hero outfits no doubt folded inside.

She bounces with a slight excitement as she moves, offers them both a nervous smile as Yaoyorozu shows her to her new desk.

"We've had a technician in," Yaoyorozu says, and Shouto snorts at the memory of waiting around for hours as they'd tried to create a cloud system for the agency which wouldn't cause errors for _everyone_ if one computer gained an error, "so your account is all set up. It'll ask you to change your password when you log in, but for now it's your birth date okay?"

"Yep! Thanks, you guys," Uraraka says, and she falls into her chair, tapping against her keyboard, eager to get set up. "I was starting to get so tired of working crappy hours, you know?"

"If you want to talk bad hours," Yaoyorozu says, as both she and Shouto make their way over to their own desks – not in separate offices, after so long of working in a communal space, it'd be almost… _wrong_ they've decided – "then you should ask about what Todoroki worked, seriously."

Shouto glances at her, offers a half-hearted glare and says, "it wasn't too bad."

"What did you work?" Uraraka asks, and she raises an eyebrow, curious. Her expression is open, as if to say _'I'll-be-the-judge-of-that'_.

"I'd get in for six," Shouto says as he unlocks his own computer, "and I'd go home around midnight."

Yaoyorozu stage-whispers, "workaholic."

* * *

The day continues, and more heroes make their way in through the doors.

Tsuyu is seated opposite Uraraka, and the two wave hello to one another and ask about previous trips they'd gone on together. Shouto gives the standard greeting, although both of his new colleagues seem a little awkward around him compared to with everyone else.

Not that Shouto can particularly blame them.

He'd always been standoffish in school, and he can't blame them for not being comfortable with him due to it.

Kirishima enters the agency at eight, claims he'd gotten lost, but ultimately readying himself for the day. He's slowly followed by Kaminari, and then Jiro. That leads them to a full agency, and Shouto readies himself for his first day.

* * *

They're nearing the end of their scheduled work day – Shouto knows he'll probably end up staying a little later, just so he can finish his paperwork up before the next load tomorrow – when Midoriya enters.

He waves to the other heroes as he steps inside, gaining loud responses, _(how many patients from Shouto's U.A class is he treating?),_ before making his way up to Shouto's desk.

He stops in front of his desk, and offers Shouto a bright smile.

"Look at this place," Midoriya says, and Shouto is almost glad when Yaoyorozu starts talking to Uraraka and Tsuyu because then the conversation isn't something he needs to share with the agency. "It's amazing."

"You think?" Shouto says, although he thinks it's a nice agency as well. Midoriya offers him a nod. "It's thanks to Yaoyorozu and you, I guess. So… thanks."

Midoriya flushes. "I didn't do anything."

Shouto signs a piece of paperwork, places it in a file that he'll have to sort away later, before giving his full attention to Midoriya. He gives him a smile – a true one, because he doesn't feel like faking smiles around the doctor – and says, "I look after myself a little better thanks to you."

"Maybe I helped a little then." He receives a smile that feels almost like sunshine. "But I did pop over for a reason."

Shouto waves a hand, tells him to go for it.

"Well," Midoriya flushes again, "you were asking about All-Might, so I was wondering if you wanted to be a guest to my next family dinner. He'll be there, so you'll be able to talk to him if you want."

Eyes widening, Shouto realises that he has never been invited to a family dinner. Not even his own. He realises this in about the same time it takes for him to accept, a hesitant _'yeah, okay'_ , slipping from his lips.

"Great," Midoriya says, and he claps his hands together. He looks more confident now that Shouto's accepted, and his smile is blinding. "I'll text you the details then, and oh, are we still on for lunch tomorrow, I was thinking of getting some soba-"

"I'm always available for soba noodles," Shouto says, "tomorrow sounds good."

"Okay," Midoriya says, "well, I'll meet you outside tomorrow for lunch then, I guess that's all I needed. I'm calling it for the evening now, you're not going to overwork yourself, are you?"

Shouto thinks of his previous plans to stay back and thinks that it's not urgent, and that if he heads into work a little earlier, it should be fine. He shakes his head.

"I'm finishing up now," Shouto says, although he'd not been planning on it. "In about five minutes, I guess."

The doctor grins. "Five minutes… I'll catch the train with you then. I've got to grab something from my office, but let's leave together, alright?"

Shouto nods.

And with a flurry of movement, Midoriya is out of the door, waving goodbye to everyone. Shouto watches him leave, before turning back to answer the final email he actually _needs_ to respond to.

When he looks up, Yaoyorozu is giving him _the look_ again. There is a smirk on his face.

"Stop it," Shouto says, his fingers tapping against his keyboard as he tries desperately not to focus on the expression she is sending him. He sends the email off and realises that it's impossible.

"I came for a new job," Uraraka mutters after a moment, "I think I'm going to stay for the romance I've just seen."

Shouto logs off from his computer, pushes away from his chair. Then, grabbing his jacket, he slips it on, offering Uraraka the most intense glare he can muster – it isn't much.

"You and Midoriya dude," Kirishima says, and he raises an eyebrow of his own. "Isn't he your doctor though?"

"Not anymore," Yaoyorozu hums, raising her hands in surrender when he glances back at her.

"It's not like that," Shouto mutters as zips his jacket up, grabbing a few files to work on at home. His cheeks are dusted a light pink. "I'm heading home for the evening though."

Kaminari offers him a thumbs up.

Shouto tells them all to _shut up._

* * *

Dinner at Midoriya's is… eventful to say the least.

Shouto isn't exactly sure what he's expecting when he steps inside, swapping shoes for guest slippers, but it's not for a woman to bombard him with questions and affection. Midoriya stands by with a faint smile as his mother – ' _call me Inko, please, a friend of Izuku's is a friend of mine'_ – pulls him into the kitchen.

The kitchen, where All-Might is stood.

He looks skinnier now, deathly pale, but still like the man Shouto remembers teaching him at U.A high. And he offers Shouto a warm greeting as he steps inside.

"Ah, Todoroki-" All-Might says, and Midoriya moves inside, making his way towards the curry he'd been cooking, arguing with his mother about whether they should add more salt. "It's been a long time."

"Er…" Shouto isn't sure what to say, "it has."

"Young Izuku tells me that you're running your own agency now," All-Might says, and Shouto nods, "I remember when I ran mine. It's a nice atmosphere don't you think? I enjoyed it a lot."

"It's a change of pace," Todoroki says, and glances towards Midoriya, who's lost the battle against his mother and is now adding more salt into the curry huffing out a sigh. The doctor turns to Shouto, having noticed him looking and beckons him forward, something that forces him to excuse himself from All-Might.

"Come taste this," Midoriya says, "and tell me it doesn't need any more salt."

"Oh, ignore Izuku honey," Inko says, although she too urges him to try the curry sauce, something that Shouto does almost hesitantly. "it obviously needs more salt."

"I've put more salt in," Midoriya sighs. "Don't put too much in, mum it's _unhealthy._ What do you think Todoroki?"

Shouto glances to All-Might, and feels disbelief pulse through his blood as the _number one hero_ shrugs his shoulders, offering an expression that shows that he might as well answer, because he's not going to find a way to get out of it.

"It tastes good." Shouto replies.

"You don't think we should put more salt in," Inko says, offering a look of pure _dejection,_ "don't put any more salt in then Izuku."

"I'm sure it'd taste good with more salt in as well," Shouto says, and generally feels helpless when Midoriya sends him his own dejected expression – _you want more salt?_ – "I'm sure it'd taste amazing either way, if Midoriya's cooking it."

Midoriya puffs his chest out at that, and his mother smiles as well, as if she knows some sort of secret that Shouto doesn't. And he says, "see – Todoroki likes _my cooking,_ so the salt concentration is going to be low, okay?"

"Fine, fine," Inko says, although she's smiling. She looks at All-Might, offers him a smile. "Does anyone want some tea?"

Shouto accepts, watches Midoriya as Inko makes her way towards the kettle, preparing tea. And he comes to a realisation.

It shouldn't be as surprising as it is – because _he'd semi-known –_ but it is. And it leaves Shouto blinking, cheeks tinged red as he looks at the floor.

 _Yaoyorozu was right._

He might be a _little_ in love with Midoriya Izuku.

* * *

 _The author very much so enjoys reviews!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Notes: We've finally reached the end! I would have updated this sooner but I've been in hospital, sorry you guys! But I'm back now with the final installment, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Thanks for all of the response you guys have given and I hope this chapter is worth the wait!_

* * *

Nothing really changes following Shouto's realisation.

Mainly because he's certain nothing goodwill come from it. Midoriya had offered him _friendship,_ and Shouto doesn't want to ruin his offer by asking for any more than he deserves.

So, their routine doesn't change, they meet up for lunch – Shouto inviting Midoriya over for dinner some weeks, and Shouto visiting the doctor's apartment for food other weeks. He suffers through more of Yaoyorozu's teasing during work hours, tries to level the warmth that rises from his cheeks every time Midoriya springs to mind.

There are moments where Shouto thinks the other man might be interested, but they never last long, and he convinces himself that he's just imagining things rather than raise his hopes over the slightest possibility of… of _what?_

Of his feelings being replicated? Or, of a relationship somehow springing into existence.

Shouto bites his lip, forces himself to focus on work instead of barely formed thoughts centered around Midoriya. He glances at paperwork on recent villain attacks in Shibuya, heads out on a patrol around Akihabara with Kaminari, and generally… tries to put it all out of his head.

"Ah, Todoroki, lets treat ourselves to sushi for once, alright?" Midoriya says when he returns from the patrol, effectively ruining any attempts to forget just by showing his face. Kaminari elbows him and grins, and Shouto agrees to sushi, glares at his colleague before spending the next twenty-five minutes trying to convince himself he's not _completely_ smitten.

It's an impossible task, and like all the other times, Shouto fails.

"Wait," Shouto says at lunch, as they start walking down the road, towards the nearest sushi bar. "What's the occasion?"

Sushi isn't necessarily _expensive,_ but the bill does rack up quickly enough that Shouto's only had it on various special occasions. And seeing as Midoriya's claimed already he comes from a poorer background, it's only more proof that this must be based on a celebration of some sort.

 _Maybe._ Shouto isn't exactly certain of his thoughts regarding the doctor.

"We never celebrated your new agency," Midoriya says, and his cheeks are flushed red, something he tries to hide behind the sleeves of his jacket. It's red, and Shouto notices that it matches the colour of the doctor's face. "And I couldn't just _not celebrate_ with you, you know?"

"Thanks," Shouto mutters, and they fade into silence for a few seconds until he adds, "you don't have to you know."

"I want to share celebrations with you," Midoriya says, and he scratches at his neck, lets out an awkward laugh as the rest his skin deepens to a crimson tinge. "If you want to, I mean."

Shouto finds his own face burning with colour. And he tells himself that this means nothing, friends celebrate things with _other friends, stop overthinking it._

"I'd like that," Shouto says, and the two of them move in silence the rest of the walk to the sushi bar.

* * *

"You know, it's manly to admit your feelings right," Kirishima says when Shouto comes into work the following week, carrying a small bento box that Midoriya had passed him _– "I made too much, do you want some leftovers?"_ – on their walk to work.

Shouto's glare isn't very powerful because it only leads to the redhead to grin in response. He'll need more practise, and he gets it when minutes later Tsuyu mentions the bento he's holding, something he places in his bottom drawer.

"It's not funny anymore," Shouto says, settling down at his desk, readying for the work day to begin. They're going to have to patrol around Shinjuku today, if the news on his phone is indicative of the day that's going to pass. "All of you should cut it out."

His colleagues look at one another, almost nervous with their expressions, the previous playfulness abandoned from the conversation. Shouto feels almost guilty about shutting them down, knows they're only teasing, but his emotions for Midoriya…

Well, it's still a little new. And as such, the ache in his chest is raw because he's pretty sure that Midoriya…

"We weren't joking," Kaminari mutters, and Shouto only _just_ hears it. He pretends he doesn't, because then he doesn't need to react – and maybe he slams his drawer shut a bit too loudly, but the others don't make any reference to it.

"It's alright you guys," Yaoyorozu says after a moment, and she's typing away on her keyboard, refuses to look at Shouto when she adds, "he just hasn't realised it for himself yet."

Shouto grits his teeth, refuses to admit that he has very much so realised, _now shut up_. And he avoids looking any of his ex-classmates in the eye for at least an hour, purely because he doesn't want them to realise just how true their words are.

* * *

Midoriya races into the agency the next day, almost breathless and levels Uraraka with a glare – Shouto watches with a faint smile as the doctor points at her, despite the action being rude – and crosses his arms.

"Your appointment," he says, only the _slightest bit_ agitated, "was this morning, and you didn't show."

Uraraka pales and lets out a sound that might be _'oh-shit'_ but Shouto can't hear properly seeing as she's muttering. The doctor frowns, shakes his head, as he mumbles something of his own about the importance of health.

Shouto, who has received this very lecture by the doctor before, lets his smile slip into a smirk.

"Okay then," Midoriya says, and he pinches the rim of his nose, heaves out a sigh, "I've got a half an hour before my next scheduled appointment, you can come down now."

Uraraka lets out a short groan, and she logs off of her computer, pushing out from her desk. As she stands, Midoriya turns to him, and Yaoyorozu, says, "I hope you don't mind if I borrow your hero for fifteen minutes."

Yaoyorozu waves her hand as if to say _'go ahead'._ Shouto shrugs his shoulders, "don't give her a doctor's note."

"Ha," Midoriya says, and he narrows his eyes slightly, although there's a grin on his face too, "Uraraka's not you. I'll give her back when the appointments finished."

With that, Midoriya offers a small wave, waltzes out of the agency with Uraraka in tow. When Shouto meets Yaoyorozu's eye, there is a raised eyebrow. Like the countless other times, he ignores it.

* * *

"Sorry," Midoriya says later on the train, and his cheeks are flushed, "I don't normally walk into hero agencies and demand to see my patients. It's just because I saw Uraraka return from her patrol…"

It's a rare day where they've managed to procure seats for the ride home, and Shouto turns to the doctor with a loose smile, his arm stinging following an encounter with a villain – he's not _too_ injured, just a scrape but as soon as Midoriya had heard he'd sent Shouto a concerned text message.

"It's fine," Shouto responds, "don't worry about it. Uraraka's at fault, not you. It's not like she had to go out of her way to get to the clinic."

Midoriya hums, leans back. "I'm still sorry. Next time I'll just have the clinic send out one of our passive aggressive text messages."

The doctor raises his hands, spreads them outward as if he's waving the words into existence, says " _The Midoriya clinic prides itself on offering the upmost care to all its patients, if you cannot make an appointment, please call in advance so other patients can use the allotted time."_

Shouto lets out a short laugh, "please tell me you don't send that out."

"Of course not," Midoriya says, "I almost wish we did though, it's frustrating when people don't turn up. Although, it does mean I can leave the office if any attacks _do_ injure my patients during battles."

Shouto glances up, falls into a comfortable silence as he looks around the carriage. There's the usual banners at the top of the train, advertisements and his eyes widen – only marginally – when he realises that since it's summer, there's an upcoming festival.

"Oh," Shouto says, more to himself than to Midoriya, "the festival is coming up."

Midoriya grins, turns to him with a collected excitement swimming in his eyes. Shouto drinks in the expression for all of five seconds, before he forces his gaze back to the banner. He says, "oh yeah, it's July isn't it. I can't wait to see this year's display of fireworks."

Shouto doesn't respond.

"Last years were really good, don't you think?" Midoriya continues, and Shouto feels his cheeks colour with something akin to mortification as he realises he's never once attended a festival that wasn't part of UA's curriculum.

"I didn't see them," Shouto says, after a moment. He remembers staying up until past midnight filling out paperwork, not quite registering the flashes of fireworks against his vision, but that's about it. "I didn't go."

"Work?" Midoriya says, and receives a nod. He pouts. "But it's the _Sumidagawa firework festival_ Todoroki, couldn't you have let yourself have one day off?"

"…I've not been before," Shouto says, and he receives a wince, as if it _visibly_ pains Midoriya to hear such a declaration, "so I didn't really see a point to going."

"Never?" The doctor echoes, and there's dismay in his tone, something that only just falls short of _despair._ "Well, we need to change that then! Let's go to the festival together, alright?"

Shouto nods.

"And oh-" Midoriya cannot tame his own grin, "since it's your first, let's go all out with it, okay?"

The grin makes Shouto slightly nervous, but there's also a part of him that's sort of… excited.

* * *

"Okay, so three of us are required to work security at the festival," Yaoyorozu says, when they hit the final Tuesday of July, readying for the fireworks festival on the Saturday. "We just need to figure out _who's_ going to be working it."

Usually, Shouto would take this moment to volunteer, but he remains quiet with everyone else.

"I'll take one of the positions," Yaoyorozu sighs, after no one volunteers. She sends the group a helpless look when no one speaks up, before glancing at Shouto.

"Listen," Shouto says, "either someone volunteers, or we just pull out the card of being your employers and force two of you to do it."

Uraraka groans at the idea.

"Fine," Kaminari says, "I'll do it, I mean – I'll still get to see the fireworks either way so it's not too big of a deal…"

Shouto nods his head, glances at Yaoyorozu for a second before crossing his arms. He says, "that makes two."

He receives a look from everyone that's akin to shock that he's not taking the third position. It fades into disbelief as Shouto raises an eyebrow.

Tsuyu raises her hand, let's out the heaviest sigh Shouto has _ever_ heard, and says, "I'll do it."

Shouto offers a half smile. He says, "there's our three then. Nice."

He goes back to work before anyone else can talk, finds himself smiling as Kaminari says he and Tsuyu will have to make the best out of their terrible situation of work. He types words into his keyboard, tries to ignore the feeling of Yaoyorozu's eyes on his form.

"Hey," she hisses after a moment, not so much angry but tired of trying to grab his attention through stares alone, "you're not going to patrol?"

Shouto presses enter on his keyboard, sends a document to the printer. He shakes his head, "I've got plans."

He doesn't explain who he's got plans _with,_ but he's pretty sure she reads into that by herself. Part of him really hopes he doesn't pass her at the festival.

* * *

Saturday arrives with an increase in villain attacks. There always seems to be an influx in attacks during the summer months – mainly because everyone's more hot and bothered than usual – but luckily Shouto doesn't receive any injuries that leave him out of commission.

So, when the clock passes five o'clock, he collects his jacket, waves goodbye to the poor, _unfortunate_ three that are left behind, making his way back to his apartment to drop off his work bag and change.

By half six, Shouto is walking across the roads, searching for Midoriya amongst the crowd on Sakura bridge. Amongst the crowds however, Shouto can hardly see anyone. Eventually, he glimpses green curls on the other side of the bridge, across the gap between the two ends.

He thinks that he should yell, but with the size of the crowd, the other man isn't going to hear him. Instead, Shouto keeps his eyes locked on the other man, pushing past people on his side of the bridge, following Midoriya's footsteps as they make their way nearer to the middle of the bridge, where two walkways meet into one.

When they're nearer, Shouto calls out the doctor's name, stumbling through the crowd attempting to find him. Eventually, a hand wraps around his wrist, pulls him forwards until Shouto is stood near the edge of the bridge, Midoriya stood opposite him.

He's wearing a yukata.

Shouto is too – Midoriya had practically forced him to buy one, had said his first festival had to be something to _remember_ – but he doesn't seem to wear it as well as the other man does.

It's blue, with curved, white lines spreading down the right side of the fabric. Along with the obi tied around his waist… Shouto tries not to let the other man see that his cheeks are tinged with red.

"Midoriya," Shouto says, "I found you."

Midoriya offers him a grin, looks his yukata – his is black, plain in comparison – up and down before pulling him back along the bridge, the way they came, moving alongside the flow of other people making their way to Sumida park.

"I'm glad you got a yukata," Midoriya says after a moment, "I thought you'd flake out on me. It suits you, you know."

Shouto feels his cheeks grow even warmer. Being this – cute? Kind? – shouldn't be allowed, he's pretty sure Midoriya is affecting his health more than anything else could have, his heart is aching in his chest.

"Thanks," Shouto says, and he lets out a small protest as Midoriya speeds up into a small jog, the two of them weaving through the crowd. "I – uh, where are we going?"

Midoriya glances over his shoulder, smiles, "we're going to the stalls to get some snacks before we sit down to watch the fireworks of course!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Midoriya continues when they finally reach the park, moving into the crowds of people lining up around food stalls. "There was this one stall last year that had _the best takoyaki,_ it was so amazing."

Shouto watches Midoriya as they traverse the stalls, gaze following each one of the doctor's movements as they search for takoyaki and okonomiyaki stalls with low prices but nice looking food. At some point, Shouto manages to grab them both ramune, opening the drinks as they continue onwards.

"I managed to save us a spot on the riverbank," Midoriya says as they stand in line for takoyaki, the man energetic as he bounces on his feet, "we should have a good view, you know?"

Shouto nods.

* * *

By the time they finally sit down on the previously laid blanket Midoriya had laid out, Shouto has been handed several food items, handed dango and yakisoba, atop other confections that Midoriya has spent his money on.

Shouto is not completely sure whether they're going to be able to finish it all, and yet they sit beside each other, looking across the river while picking up different things.

"Here," Midoriya says after a moment, picking up some dango, and placing it nearer to Shouto's mouth. He holds his hand out, as if to pass it to Shouto, and yet Shouto – affected by whatever atmosphere this crowd is creating – simply leans forwards and bites the bottom dango off.

He then flushes, followed shortly by Midoriya blushing, hiding his face in his hands.

"S-sorry," Shouto mutters after a second.

Midoriya stutters, "n-no, it's alright, it's just me being weird…"

They sit in an embarrassed silence until the fireworks begin, although Shouto finds his gaze wandering back towards Midoriya every few minutes, a small, yet steady smile worming its way onto his face.

* * *

The fireworks start with a bang.

Colour fills the sky with several explosions, followed one after another with loud echoes that leave Shouto's ears ringing and his eyes widened at the sight. It's not that it's entirely _beautiful,_ because fireworks aren't.

They're loud and they're still in the warm up stage – the firework competition hasn't even begun yet – and yet theirs a warm solidarity to them that he can't help but find breath-taking. A single glance towards Midoriya shows that the other man seems to think the same.

There are two halves to the fireworks, two sides of the river competing to see who can put on the best show, and when the break between the two finally occurs, Shouto turns to Midoriya and says, "thanks for this."

Midoirya doesn't meet his eyes, "it's just a festival, don't be silly."

"Not just for the festival," Shouto says, and he glances out at the river now, trying to find the words without needing to _directly confess_. "For all of it, for taking care of me even if you don't have to."

"It's…" Midoriya pauses, and he moves his hand then, moves it close enough to Shouto's that the sides of their hands are touching, "I wanted to, so… it's nothing, really."

Shouto glances at their hands – so close and _yet –_ his gaze locked on the two. The other man has a scar on the back of his hand, something Shouto's certain he'll ask about one day, if this entire evening goes well.

Then, he glances up at Midoriya, watches his expression as he moves his hand, so that his fingers are overlapping the other man's. It's almost like he's seeking permission, because the movement is uncertain until the other man completes the movement, their fingers intertangled.

"You too, huh?" Midoriya breathes, a blush rising up his neck.

"Yeah."

The other man glances away for a second, as the next fireworks begin, a flurry of greens and reds and _whites_. Then, he turns back, offers a lopsided grin.

"Would it be too bold to consider this a date?"

Shouto's face _burns._ He shakes his head, _'no_ '.

"That'd be… I'd like that, Midoriya."

Midoriya scoots nearer, moves takoyaki out of the way with his free hand, and leans his head against Shouto's shoulder. Light illuminates his face, fireworks echoing the sound of Shouto's heartbeat, as they both force their focus onto the show and not one another.

"Then it's a date," Midoriya responds.

Shouto lets out a shaky breath, offers the man a smile that's a little too wide to be _completely sane_.

Midoriya squeezes his hand.

"And please," he says, "call me Izuku."

* * *

 ** _[END]_**


End file.
